Food Uniting Neighbours seeking focus group particpants to inform local needs

FERGUS – A community-led initiative focused on improving food access has made its way from Guelph to Centre Wellington.

Food Uniting Neighbours (FUN) takes a co-design approach to improving access to food, meaning programs and activities are developed with community members rather than for them, Jen Ethier stated in an email describing the initiative.

“We hope to design solutions for the community that work in this community,” Ethier said in a follow-up interview. “The solutions in Centre Wellington will be very different from what works in Guelph.”

Ethier is a PhD student studying food security and rural studies at the University of Guelph. She’s been hired to oversee the project and to date, a group of community advisors has come forward to participate.

Now they are looking for community members to be part of a focus group, where participants will share their experiences and ideas to improve local food access initiatives.

Started in Guelph in 2022, FUN is a partnership between researchers at the University of Guelph and the Onward Willow neighbourhood group.

Twelve community advisors were hired and after some brainstorming sessions, they devised a number of projects to bring healthy food to the neighbourhood.

That included transportation to the food bank and grocery store, cooking workshops, a community garden and workshops, and community cafes where free meals and social time are offered.

The solutions in Centre Wellington will be different but key to finding solutions is identifying barriers and developing an action plan.

And that’s where the focus group plays a critical role, Ethier said.

Focus group sessions last about 90 minutes. Refreshments are provided and each participant will receive a $30 gift card. Additional supports, such as transportation, can be arranged on request.

The Centre Wellington advisors are holding an open house on July 13 from 4 to 7pm at the Fergus Rugby Club. It will be a kid-friendly drop-in format where folks can learn about the initiative.

“We want to get voices of people who are impacted by the high price of food,” Ethier said. “We want to see what that looks like in Centre Wellington and what are the barriers to accessing healthy, nutritious food.”

Ethier said the FUN advisors will also be at community events throughout the summer to spread the word.

“FUN believes that the people most affected by food access issues should help shape the solutions,” Ethier said.

“Community voices are at the centre of the work through focus groups, conversations and ongoing engagement activities. The goal is to identify gaps, build on existing strengths and create programs that reflect local needs. The outcome, we hope, will be an actual community solution to improve food access.”

Those interested can register by calling FUN at 226-337-4233 or emailing fun@10carden.ca.