Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When the going gets tough, the tough get together to figure things out.听听
That鈥檚 the concept behind the new Jasper Food Alliance, a collaborative initiative between the Municipality of Jasper and the two organizations on the frontlines of food security action in town: the Jasper Food Bank and the Jasper Local Food Society.听
鈥淲e are very excited about this moving forward and working to come up with some ideas to move towards better food security in Jasper,鈥� said Cristin Murphy, operations manager with the Jasper Food Bank.听
鈥淲e are excited to collaborate with more groups in our community to help people get more actively involved in our food system,鈥� said rYan eSch (sic) of the Jasper Local Food Society, the organization that operates the Jasper Community Garden and the Jasper Farmers鈥� Market.听
The alliance formed because of a decision made at the local government level. It is designed as a cross-sectoral approach to better understanding all the dimensions of the food security issue in Jasper, said Jenna McGrath, project co-ordinator with the municipality鈥檚 community development department.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 a priority of council to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of people becoming vulnerable and respond when they are vulnerable; thus, council voted in favour of creating this position that had food security embedded so that there was support for food-focused non-profit groups and a co-ordinated approach to supporting food security in Jasper,鈥� she said.听
鈥淲e're looking to understand the food security needs of the community and to gather a baseline of where people are at.鈥�听
They hope to accomplish that initial assessment through a comprehensive survey of the populace. McGrath will be offering the survey to clients at the food bank, but it is also available online at . The topics cover everything from shopping habits to how people鈥檚 employers help support your food needs to whether you have space to store bulk food, and much more.听
In less than a week, the survey has already garnered more than 100 responses, a robust amount of feedback that speaks to the extent of the concern within the community.听听
Usage at the Jasper Food Bank is at an all-time high. Before 2020, it saw approximately 10 clients per week. In October 2023, the average is around 90 clients per week. There was a week in late September when usage went up to 126 users.听
Once compiled, the survey responses will help to guide the organization鈥檚 activities going forward, which could include workshops or other programs.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e not the experts in food security, but there are experts in Jasper and there is a lot of wealth of knowledge in the communities,鈥� McGrath said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we're hoping to draw on.鈥�听
The survey should be active until mid-December.
