Who we are
We are a charitable organization that strives for a food secure York Region where everyone’s right to food is met.
Our Vision: Food for health, Food for All
Our Mission: York Region Food Network connects and empowers people to access healthy food through education and advocacy.
How we work
We believe that good food is crucial for physical, mental, social and cultural well-being, so we offer high-quality food programming where participants have opportunities to connect, share their food cultures, experiences and feel part of the community.
We believe that food is a powerful tool for community building, so we design our services and programs to ensure everyone has a place at the table.
We believe that food systems and food sovereignty have an important role to play in fostering Truth and Reconciliation and in respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), so we are committed to learning the true history of these lands and integrating this knowledge into our service and program delivery.
Our work is guided by the fundamental belief in the right to food, so we research, educate and advocate on the right to food, healthy food systems and food insecurity.
Our core values
Six core values guide our actions.
- We value health, taking a whole foods and hands-on approach to food preparation, prioritizing nutritious foods.
- We value equity and social justice, applying a poverty reduction lens and anti-oppressive practices.
- We value the power of choice because people are healthier when they can choose what food they eat.
- We value the conversations and connections made when people with different perspectives and lived experiences share a meal.
- We strive to have a positive environmental impact, prioritizing local and sustainably produced foods, regenerative agriculture, plant-based meals and waste-free practices.
- We value food literacy and skills, creating educational programs around growing food, healthy cooking and the local food economy.
