Giving Tuesday
Feed the movement
Give (verb): freely transfer the possession of something to someone; freely devote, set aside or sacrifice for a purpose; freely make a HUGE difference to the LifeCycles Project.
What does it mean to give? To LifeCycles, it means supporting a movement that feeds the community in more ways than one.
Year in review
In 2020, our Fruit Tree Project and Farm Gleaning volunteers harvested almost 50,000 pounds of produce, with a third of our overall yield being distributed to community partner organizations.
From July to November, our Growing Schools ‘Seed the City‘ program has grown 1,000 lbs of vegetables with high school students at Reynolds Secondary and Spectrum Community School. This fresh produce was shared with students and their families, utilized in school meal programs, sold at local markets, and donated to community organizations through the FoodShare Network. We also managed to distribute 700 packets of locally grown and saved seed to gardeners through our Seed Library!
As we reflect on the past and present state of the COVID-19 pandemic, the successes of this year stand in stark contrast to the challenges our global community has faced. Thanks to the generous support of our funders, community partners and volunteer network, we were able to safely run our projects during a very turbulent season of change. Going forward, we will continue to work hard to embrace this wave of uncertainty.
Beyond the numerical measures of our success, we have continued to make a difference in the community by providing dignified access to nutritious food, giving high school students hands-on experience within the local food system, and safely harvesting produce during these uncertain times. We’re proud to say we were able to keep moving when everything felt stuck, allowing our community to have a little bit of normalcy (which can go a long way).
On to the next year!
While the harvest is complete, our work is not finished. There is always something to be done, especially as this year winds down and we begin preparing for 2021. In the upcoming year, we will continue to plant seeds in our community (both literally and metaphorically).
Your generous support will allow us to safely run workshops, pick and sort fruit, engage in our community, and continue the creation of a sustainable, inclusive local food system.
After this strange year, if we’ve learned anything it’s that even when standing six feet apart, we are always better together. We hope you’ll let us continue our movement with a financial gift to LifeCycles.
Donations can be made via our secure online form or the old fashioned way with a cheque in the mail.
We recognize that not everyone has the capacity to make a financial donation. By simply sharing this post and information about our projects with others, you can help to make a real difference in our local food movement!