Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

This poster is a case presentation of Nourish, the innovative public health program in Peterborough, Ontario, that has the potential to influence food policies.

Nationally, over 4 million children and adults live in food-insecure households making food security a humanitarian, civic, and public health concern.

Funded by the Ontario Local Poverty Reduction Fund, Nourish strives to heighten awareness and motivate the public to address food insecurity through alternatives to the current food bank system. It guides women living on low income as well as a broad range of community members on their civic journey through multiple avenues: hands-on activities, workshops, community dinners, and other activities designed to boost food and civic literacy.

Innovative approaches and inclusiveness of the program attract participants to attend multiple events where they learn new information, gain the confidence to speak up, and practice a variety of civic engagement skills.

The goals are to increase social capital, improve community resilience, increase civic engagement and advocacy to influence food policy, poverty, and social justice, and, ultimately, build a more equitable society in Ontario and Canada.

Nourish has been evaluated by the Evaluation Centre for Complex Health Interventions at the University of Toronto using developmental and process evaluation approaches to uncover mechanisms of change, develop a theory of influence, and generate learning for the province of Ontario.