Combat Food Insecurity in Arts Community
Donation protected
We are raising funds during the month of February 2021 to support Albertan artists who are experiencing food insecurity.
Food insecurity is not having enough money to buy food and can range from worrying about running out of food to going days without food. Because of the pandemic, 1 in 7 Canadians is experiencing food insecurity right now and food prices are expected to rise drastically by $700 this year. Those hardest hit are low income earners, meaning many individual artists are bearing incredible stress during an already turbulent time.
Your support will get cash into artists’ hands to empower them to weather this pandemic with dignity. We’re focusing on cash because food banks and food charity don’t always cut it. Many food insecure households don’t or cannot access food banks and, right now, food banks are running low and sometimes resorting to expired or rotten food. Even when shelves are full and fresh, they often cannot factor in individual needs, whether that be vegan, gluten free, culturally specific, or other dietary restrictions. We want artists to be able to buy their own groceries to make the food that keeps their bellies and hearts full.
We have put out a call for Albertan individual artists to disclose whether they need support, especially focusing on food insecurity. We are gathering this information concurrently while raising funds so that we may support people as soon as possible. If you are looking for that form, please click here. We will send funds to artists in March 2021 and release an overview of the level of support requested and a breakdown of the support offered.
If you care about the arts, donate to directly support individual artists during this turbulent time when work is almost impossible to find. Any amount is welcome.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support.
- Ari Rombough & Lara Schmitz
A final note: Food insecurity is linked intrinsically to income, so, if you care about this cause, consider taking action to demand a Universal Basic Income for Canada. Here are two websites to check out: www.ubiworks.ca and www.basicincomecanada.org. There’s so much good that can come from it and at less than what it costs to keep trying to combat the symptoms of poverty.
Articles that influenced this campaign:
· One in seven Canadians experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic: report: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/one-in-seven-canadians-experiencing-food-insecurity-during-the-pandemic-report-1.5126247
· Families may spend almost $700 more on groceries in 2021: report https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/grocery-canada-food-price-report-1.5858164
· Food Insecurity Infographic by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health: https://www.odph.ca/upload/membership/document/2020-12/copy-of-centslessinfographicdec2020-3-003-.pdf
· Household Food Insecurity in Canada: https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/
This fundraiser was conceptualized on the ancestral territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy including the Siksika, Piikani and Kainai Nations; the Nakoda Iyarhe Nation, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley Nations; and the Tsuut'inna Nation. We reside where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet - long been called Mohkinsstsis by the Blackfoot, Wîchîspa by the Nakoda Iyarhe Nation, and Guts’ists’i by the Tsuut’ina Nation. Southern Alberta is also home to the Métis Nation Region 3. We honour the languages, traditions, sovereignty, and culture of all Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island and around the world.
Food insecurity is not having enough money to buy food and can range from worrying about running out of food to going days without food. Because of the pandemic, 1 in 7 Canadians is experiencing food insecurity right now and food prices are expected to rise drastically by $700 this year. Those hardest hit are low income earners, meaning many individual artists are bearing incredible stress during an already turbulent time.
Your support will get cash into artists’ hands to empower them to weather this pandemic with dignity. We’re focusing on cash because food banks and food charity don’t always cut it. Many food insecure households don’t or cannot access food banks and, right now, food banks are running low and sometimes resorting to expired or rotten food. Even when shelves are full and fresh, they often cannot factor in individual needs, whether that be vegan, gluten free, culturally specific, or other dietary restrictions. We want artists to be able to buy their own groceries to make the food that keeps their bellies and hearts full.
We have put out a call for Albertan individual artists to disclose whether they need support, especially focusing on food insecurity. We are gathering this information concurrently while raising funds so that we may support people as soon as possible. If you are looking for that form, please click here. We will send funds to artists in March 2021 and release an overview of the level of support requested and a breakdown of the support offered.
If you care about the arts, donate to directly support individual artists during this turbulent time when work is almost impossible to find. Any amount is welcome.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support.
- Ari Rombough & Lara Schmitz
A final note: Food insecurity is linked intrinsically to income, so, if you care about this cause, consider taking action to demand a Universal Basic Income for Canada. Here are two websites to check out: www.ubiworks.ca and www.basicincomecanada.org. There’s so much good that can come from it and at less than what it costs to keep trying to combat the symptoms of poverty.
Articles that influenced this campaign:
· One in seven Canadians experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic: report: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/one-in-seven-canadians-experiencing-food-insecurity-during-the-pandemic-report-1.5126247
· Families may spend almost $700 more on groceries in 2021: report https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/grocery-canada-food-price-report-1.5858164
· Food Insecurity Infographic by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health: https://www.odph.ca/upload/membership/document/2020-12/copy-of-centslessinfographicdec2020-3-003-.pdf
· Household Food Insecurity in Canada: https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/
This fundraiser was conceptualized on the ancestral territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy including the Siksika, Piikani and Kainai Nations; the Nakoda Iyarhe Nation, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley Nations; and the Tsuut'inna Nation. We reside where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet - long been called Mohkinsstsis by the Blackfoot, Wîchîspa by the Nakoda Iyarhe Nation, and Guts’ists’i by the Tsuut’ina Nation. Southern Alberta is also home to the Métis Nation Region 3. We honour the languages, traditions, sovereignty, and culture of all Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island and around the world.
Fundraising team (2)
Lara Schmitz
Organizer
Calgary, AB
Arielle Rombough
Team member