FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM
Our food philosophy is driven by values on Environmental Sustainability: we acknowledge our responsibility as a community leader to increase our awareness and expertise in the field of environmental sustainability locally and globally; we strive to incorporate practices that minimize our environmental footprint; we provide and facilitate leadership to the community in the journey towards a sustainable relationship with the environment.
Healthy Food Policy
Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House believes in the power of good food. We believe good food has the power to build health, connect people, and inspire people to become engaged in issues that matter to them. FHNH is committed to providing healthy food at all programs, meetings and events. We will strive to provide food that provides good nutrition, is delicious, and is pleasurable to eat. In addition, we recognize the value of minimizing our environmental footprint in all of our practices. This means that we value food that is grown locally and is packaged in recyclable and/or compostable materials. We respect the healthy choices that people make, and understand that those choices may be informed by cultural and religious values and personal preferences.
Our principles
- An understanding that food brings us together and can act as a vehicle for community building.
- A recognition that all members of our community have a right to food based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while also acknowledging that we as a community experience various levels of access to food.
- A commitment to sharing fresh, non-expired, healthy, and locally produced food whenever possible.
- A commitment to sharing food that is nutrient-dense, low in refined sugar and sodium, and not overly processed.
- A commitment to working toward increased access to food for those who are nutritionally vulnerable.
- A commitment to providing opportunities for increased food literacy and community capacity-building for our neighbors.
- A commitment to sharing foods that reflect the diversity of our community, city, country and world.
- An awareness of the impact that our food choices have on the environment.
- A commitment to the reduction of our organizational ecological footprint by minimizing packaging, and continuing to compost.
Everyone has the right to secure food
Harvest Festival
SAVE THE DATE→ Aug 22, 2024 from 10am to 2pm
An annual harvest celebration event in Clinton Park since 2006, including music and band performances, as well as the famous vegetable contest & exchange from our neighbours’ backyard gardens! LEARN MORE>>
Multicultural Food Skills Exchange
Food skills & nutrition workshops for community members. Topics include preservation, healthy nutritional recipes, and culturally diverse food practices. LEARN MORE >>
Neighbourhood Pantry
We generate community resources for families in need, including non-perishable goods such as grains & canned food stored & made available to residents in the Hastings-Sunrise area. This low-barrier food access is an essential supplement to our neighbours who are experiencing mobility challenges to visit a far-away food bank or families with a large number of young children using public transit. LEARN MORE>>
Gardeners' Hangout
A seasonal program. Visit our garden at Clinton Park. Come by to receive seeds, drink herbal tea from the garden and learn from the many health-benefit workshops we offer! LEARN MORE>>
Kids in the Kitchen
Offered during Family Drop-in Program that encourages intergenerational learning and cooking. A group of children ages (0-6) guided by their caregivers/guardians, working together in the kitchen to prepare hot lunch for the drop-in session. LEARN MORE>>
Holiday Hamper Support
An annual fundraiser to support local families during the holiday season.
We accept donations by cash, cheque, gift cards or donate directly to us via our website: LEARN MORE>>
Hastings-Sunrise Community Food Network (HSCFN)
A collective project involving food programs at Hastings & Thunderbird Community Centres, Frog Hollow & Kiwassa Neighbourhood Houses, and CityReach Care Society, in partnership with the United Way.
Together we collaborate on initiatives that build the food security of our neighbourhood through enhancing the food programs we offer, growing our network and amplifying the food justice work of our partners, and helping create the conditions required for our neighbourhood’s food sovereignty. LEARN MORE>>
Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks (VNFN)
We are part of the VNFN network committed to food equity and access, education, skill building, and advocacy, particularly for community members who are struggling economically. LEARN MORE>>
Community Connections Blog
A community-led blog where you learn more about gardening, healthy food choices, sustainability, and fun stories by authors from the neighbourhood. LEARN MORE>>
Community Partners
Get in Touch. Get Involved
Be A Volunteer
Help out at our gardens. Asisst preparing meals or snacks for programs in the kitchen. Organise food bags. Support other food security needs.
*Limited volunteer opportunities due to Covid-19.
Be A Sponsor
We accept donated and unexpired food, food gift cards, cash or cheques.
Food Security Program Staff Team
Eva Aboud
Community Outreach Coordinator
Food Security Coordinator
Facility Manager
Eva Aboud
Community Outreach & Food Security Coordinator
Eva Aboud is a community outreach /food security coordinator and a facilitator of positive change. She has worked at Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House since 2004. And is very passionate about her work. She loves the Frog Hollow community and continues to learn and connect with people from not just the neighbourhood but from all over the world! Her hobbies are riding her bicycle, gardening, playing the ukulele and blogging! She is a mother of two beautiful daughters and blessed with two amazing grandchildren! She is enlightened daily by the belief in the power to make change towards a life of happiness we all rightfully deserve! We hold the secret!
Carrie Yan
Family Programs Community Worker
Hi, my name is Carrie Yan. I was born in Tai Shan, China. I first immigrated to Canada in 1992.
I was first introduced to Frog Hollow in 2002 when I was enrolling my daughter in the preschool provided there. From there, in 2003, I signed my son up for the drop-in program; and I ended up volunteering and started helping prepare snacks for the children in the program. By 2005 I was officially hired by Frog Hollow to help with the drop-in hot lunch program, and it’s been smooth sailing since then; I have worked here now for 17 years. I have learned so much from everyone in Frog Hollow. Especially those in the Family Program; they have helped me grow as a person from their endless support. Frog Hollow really feels like a second home for me. My children have also been involved in the programs and have all volunteered here as well.
One of my hobbies is cooking which started from the drop-in program. Other hobbies I have are gardening and singing karaoke.