Over a year ago, Aurelia M. was researching afterschool programs for her children, Marcus and Lucas, when she came across Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH). One look at all that CNH has to offer and she soon found her family immersed in food programs instead.
Each month, the family of three attends Community Kitchen, a free program for newcomers to explore collective cooking, learn from neighbours and share food traditions.
We started off with Community Kitchen because it was for newcomers and I love the cultural aspect of learning different cuisines and learning from people who are inside of the culture . . . My kids love food, so it’s a great activity [where] we can all bond.”
Over the last year, Aurelia’s family has been able to experience the program together. From learning new skills to connecting with other participants and sharing meals, Community Kitchen has created opportunities where they can all benefit. For 10-year-old Marcus and 8-year-old Lucas, this includes kid-friendly tasks led by a volunteer. In November, for example, the siblings helped make ginger cookies for dessert while their mom prepared the main course with other program participants.
“My kids like me to come because there’s more of a diverse assortment of food than I might actually shop for,” said Aurelia, who noted that Marcus and Lucas originally encouraged her to sign them up for the program.
When the family moved from Hong Kong to Vancouver two years ago, Aurelia said it was an opportunity for her children to experience more space outdoors. Marcus, for example, is also “very curious about gardening.”
As a result, the family soon became involved in other food programs at CNH after connecting with Community Kitchen.
This includes learning about edible berries and tree sap at the Norquay Food Forest, making friends through the food drop program, receiving a Neighbourhood Small Grant to host a tea party for single mothers, and making life-long connections through the newcomer mentorship program.
“It’s a good educational experience for all of us because we grew up in a very cosmopolitan, concrete environment and barely knew anything about shrubs and trees,” she said.
While it’s difficult for Aurelia to recall every event her family has attended at CNH (staff described Aurelia as “very supportive” of the food programs), she fondly remembers a mooncake workshop. Her youngest, Lucas, “brought home the recipe and stuffed it in my face,” she said.
“He said, ‘Mommy, when are we going to make this?’ I said, I don’t think we have the ingredients to make a three-layer mooncake so we improvised,” Aurelia said. “With the Community Kitchen recipes, I can apply the skills for them or make the recipes at home.”
Beyond food programs at CNH, Aurelia said she appreciates the diverse programs at CNH that are available to all ages. Although Marcus and Lucas didn’t end up in CNH’s childcare programs, Aurelia said she has friends who have had good experiences in those programs.
While at the food drop, she often talks to seniors who participate in the program.
“They talk about the coffee meetup right before or I see online other educational workshops for seniors,” said Aurelia. “And then in terms of working people, we can come to the kitchen afterwards and we also share our lives by asking [about our] day jobs.”
For Aurelia, CNH has become a place for connection and much more.
“It’s a great resource hub, not only for workshops, but at least I know who to contact for help,” she said. “When I joined the mentorship program, Ryan was able to arrange me with this lady who we still remain friends [with] to this day. She’s actually like a god grandmother to my kids so she became kind of like part of our family.”
“That was a very memorable aspect of the mentorship program that flourished into a long-lasting relationship.”
Learn more about food programs at cnh.bc.ca/food-justice or call 604-435-0323 for more information.
This story was originally written for CNH’s annual giving campaign. Consider making a donation to CNH and help sustain low-cost and accessible programming like the ones available to Aurelia and her family. Your contribution can positively impact the lives of everyone in the community.
