VIMHS
Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
Victoria’s Red Cedar Cafe turning potential food waste into meals
Victoria’s Red Cedar Cafe turning potential food waste into meals
Victoria’s Red Cedar Cafe turning potential food waste into meals
Saturday 11th May 2024
Discover how Victoria's Red Cedar Cafe transforms surplus food into meals for those in need. Learn about their journey from pandemic beginnings to sustainable success.
13 minutes
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Get the buttons here!Turning Food Waste into Community Meals: The Story of Victoria's Red Cedar Cafe
Episode Overview
- Red Cedar Cafe began during the COVID-19 pandemic to combat food waste.
- The cafe produces around 1,000 meals weekly using redirected food.
- Sustainability and community accountability are core values.
- Volunteers play a crucial role in the cafe's operations.
- The organisation has adapted its programmes to remain effective and sustainable.
We've learned that being sustainable and accountable to our community is more important than expanding too quickly
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, restaurants were forced to close, leaving a surplus of food without a home. Enter Victoria's Red Cedar Cafe, a community-driven initiative that took this potential waste and transformed it into meals for those in need. Four years on, the cafe has evolved but its mission remains unchanged - turning surplus food into life-saving sustenance.
In this episode of People First Radio, volunteer coordinator Phoebe Nodge shares the journey of Red Cedar Cafe from its inception to its current state, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way. Phoebe takes us back to April 2020, when a group of community organisers and restaurant industry folks banded together to address food waste and hunger exacerbated by the pandemic.
The cafe initially operated out of an old bakery in downtown Victoria, offering a frozen meal programme and a pay-what-you-can cafe. Over time, they realised that while the pay-what-you-can model wasn't financially sustainable, their frozen meal programme was a hit. Today, Red Cedar Cafe operates four days a week, producing around 1,000 meals weekly with the help of 50 kitchen volunteers and a handful of staff.
They primarily use food redirected from grocery stores and local farms, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Phoebe emphasises the importance of sustainability and being accountable to their community, rather than expanding too quickly or broadly. Phoebe also touches on the radical nature of their work within the nonprofit sector. Despite cycling through various programmes and ideas, they have remained committed to their core mission and community relationships.
This adaptability and intentionality have allowed them to thrive even as circumstances change. If you're looking for inspiration on how to turn challenges into opportunities, this episode is a must-listen. Red Cedar Cafe's story is a testament to the power of community action and the impact of small, dedicated teams. So why not tune in and see what lessons you can take away?