About

MISSION STATEMENT

Loving Spoonful works to enhance access to healthy food in an empowering, inclusive, equitable, and environmentally sustainable manner.

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OBJECTIVES

1. Working with communities to enhance healthy food access for low income individuals and families in Kingston.

2. Increasing the amount of fresh food available through local meal programs and agencies, and combating food waste and its adverse environmental effects.

3. Fostering community awareness of the multiple factors that contribute to food insecurity.

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What is Loving Spoonful?

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What is food security?

“A situation in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.”

- Hamm and Bellows 2003, Quoted in “In Every Community a Place for Food” The Metcalfe Food Solutions report produced by the Stop Community Food Centre.

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What does Loving Spoonful do?

Loving Spoonful reclaims surplus food from sources such as grocery stores, caterers, restaurants, hotels and farmers, – food that would otherwise go to waste. With the help of volunteers we transport this food to local emergency meal providers, such as homeless shelters and hot meal programs.  We also work with other food justice initiatives such as community gardens, grow-a-row campaigns and farmers markets.

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Why?

Food reclamation makes sense; the benefits of such a program are both social and environmental. The surplus food we collect is transported to those who need it most. This food, would otherwise be put into a landfill. As organic matter decomposes, it becomes methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Not only are we saving much needed food from going to waste to improve public health, but we are keeping waste from becoming a hazard to our environmental health.

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About the Name:

Originally the Cooperative Food Distribution Initiative, Loving Spoonful was chosen as a catchier moniker for the project. This name has a special resonance in Kingston. The late Zal Yanovsky, singer and lead guitarist of rock band “The Loving Spoonful” was a food activist and restaurant entrepreneur in Kingston. Loving Spoonful has the full support of the current owner and the management of Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho, who feel that Zal would have wholeheartedly supported such a project.

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Partners:

We work in partnership with many local organizations, including OPIRG Kingston, The Partners in Mission Foodbank, the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul’s Justice and Peace Office and the National Farmer’s Union Local 316. Their continued support ensures the success of our program.  To see a complete list of all our partners, including Food Donors, Funders, Individual and Organizational Sponsors, Community Partners, and Recipient Agencies, visit this page.

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