At Compass Community Health, we center food security as a vital element of health and community wellbeing. Based in Hamilton’s north end and founded in 1987, we serve a diverse and often underserved population facing systemic barriers to access, including newcomers, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, seniors, and families. Our food-security work is multifaceted. Through our innovative “produce prescription” program, health providers write prescriptions that give clients access to subsidized fresh produce boxes, supporting those living with diet-related illnesses and food access challenges. We host daily hot breakfasts for children, accessible gardening and community-garden plots, food-literacy cooking programs and an inclusive community fridge. These are all designed to increase access to healthy food, build cooking and growing skills, and reduce reliance on emergency-only food supports. We believe that food insecurity isn’t just about hunger, it’s connected to chronic disease, poverty, housing and social exclusion. Our approach embeds food security into health, wellness and community development. We partner with funders, schools and neighborhood groups to build systems that ensure everyone has the healthy food they need to thrive.