At the drop-in space at Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre (CONC) in Toronto’s west end, curry chicken is on the stove and reggae tunes are on rotation. The smells and sounds are drifting out to the street, enticing community members inside. Soon, there’ll be eating and chatting—not to mention dancing.
“We dance every day!” laughs Manager Deborah Jules. “We really focus on making sure that this space is one of joy and resilience and shared humanity for everybody.”
Here, food is about so much more than food. It’s about stronger and healthier communities.
For the past 11 years, Right To Food has been strengthening the capacity of organizations like CONC through the Good Food Organization (GFO) program, a nationwide network of over 450 community food organizations. The initiative offers grants, in-person gatherings, tools, resources, and training—on everything from program evaluation and design to fundraising basics.
For Deborah and CONC, being a part of the GFO program makes a positive difference for the organization and the people it serves. “These opportunities have allowed me to learn from a network of like-minded individuals,” Deborah says. “It’s incredible and so rewarding because I can take that back to my team and the community to improve what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
The GFO program’s offerings fall under the umbrella of the Learning Commons, which offers opportunities for organizations to gather, virtually and in person, to share knowledge. In turn, the GFOs’ contributions enrich and improve the GFO program.
Right To Food continues to find new ways to support our sector’s impact. We recently piloted a year-long course designed for leaders to strengthen their organizational capacity. As one participant said, “The suggested approaches, especially the concept of relentless incrementalism, feel both achievable and empowering. We’ve seen that small, consistent shifts can generate lasting impact over time. These approaches help us prioritize what’s most meaningful for our community.”
FOOD SUMMIT 2024
Right To Food’s Food Summit 2024, our national conference in Toronto, drew over 350 attendees from across the country to connect, learn, and envision a more food-secure future.
I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Food Summit, and it was truly one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had since founding Type Diabeat-it. At the Summit, for the first time in a long time, I felt seen. I felt heard. I didn’t have to explain why food insecurity impacts Black Canadians disproportionately, or how underfunded and underrepresented our work is. I stood up in a room of strangers, poured my heart out, and it was embraced—no justifications needed. The feeling of being affirmed in my work was something I hadn’t even realized I had missed. Surrounded by incredible food organizations from across Canada, the energy was electrifying. The knowledge, connections, and new vocabulary I gained were invaluable. While what we truly need are resources and funding to keep going, this experience recharged me.
