By Naya Macauley and Sadie Hejazi, Kamloops Food Policy Council

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Kamloops CARE Coalition — Connecting aid, resources and education to support vulnerable populations

Aug 19, 2025 | 1:44 PM

THE KAMLOOPS CARE COALITION is a research project funded through the City of Kamloops Social and Community Development Grant and conducted by the Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) in partnership with Thompson Rivers University (TRU). Our research aimed to analyze accessibility and nutrition in the local food system by collecting information from vulnerable populations and their representatives in Kamloops. The research objective is to highlight the gaps and challenges in our food system and provide data-backed recommendations to reduce these barriers. The KFPC designed the project structure and provided support through weekly sessions with TRU Nursing students under the supervision of TRU Practice Lead Joyce Okofo Adje. These sessions helped the students develop a survey and interviews, and provided time to reflect on responses.

Projects like this are the perfect example of KFPC’s policy advocacy work because it’s an ideal visualization of how we collaborated on pilot projects by the community for the community. As an organization working at a mid to upstream level, coordinated efforts with front-line services and volunteers make all the difference in the development of sustainable programming.

In this research project, the KFPC split the six students into two groups. Group 1, consisting of three third-year Nursing students — Mitchell Blusson, Murfee Damoco and Smita Mainali — was responsible for connecting with community partners and organizations that have already been working with the KFPC in updating the community meal calendar and food resource document. From there, they went to develop a set of interview questions intended to find the gaps in our local food system and to update the spring edition of the Community Meal Calendar.

The Community Meal Calendar provides essential information about the date, time, location, and types of meal services and resources offered by our incredible community organizations. The KFPC developed these resources at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to help share various free food options available in Kamloops for both adults and youth, while also identifying any gaps in services. We have been committed to updating these resources almost quarterly by reaching out to our community organizations.

After completing the meal calendar and food resource updates, it was noted that local organizations believe collaborative efforts and communication services should be priorities to reduce program/service redundancy and expand access to a wider reach. A roundtable discussion would help bridge this gap and enhance collaboration among organizations addressing food security in Kamloops. This would provide a consistent space and time for discussion among social agencies, meal program providers and key stakeholders. While the meal calendar is a helpful tool, it would be more efficient if it could be accessed and updated live by each organization as changes occur.

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Group 2, consisting of three third-year Nursing students — Izabella Hopaluk-Paul, Sadie Herbert and Jordan Roper — was responsible for developing the Food Insecurity Survey. The idea was to develop a set of questions that would help us gain an understanding of the food insecurity levels in our community, with questions that sought to isolate demographics, geography, barriers and other specific challenges. There were some limitations to the final survey. These included producing a comprehensive yet brief survey, a short timeframe for collecting responses, and the fact that the survey was only available online. We understand these are barriers too and likely inhibited the reach of the survey responses.

Once the survey was completed, it was determined by over 50 per cent of participants that costs and financial restraints have been the most significant barrier to accessing nutritious food. There were several requests to expand community kitchens and gardens to increase our local, sustainable access to fresh produce. Other recommendations included greater public awareness of available food programs, working to reduce stigmas surrounding the need for food support/resources, as well as improved seniors’ access, transportation, safety and additional extended hours at free meal facilities.

The Next Steps

The KFPC plans to hold a roundtable discussion with community organizations involved in this project at The Stir during the fall or winter this year. The purpose of the event is to share the findings from the Kamloops CARE Coalition survey and interviews, highlight the most significant gaps or challenges in the food system, and provide data and recommendations aimed at reducing barriers so that more appropriate foods and nutrition can reach the most vulnerable populations. After the presentation, we will open the floor to discussions, encouraging collaboration on the challenges at hand. We aspire to create a platform where community organizations can unite, voice their concerns, and propose actionable solutions.

Additionally, based on feedback from the interviews with community organizations, we recognize the community’s need for more frequent updates on the meal calendar. In response to this, we plan to introduce a new model as a pilot project during the roundtable, inviting further discussion and input from attendees.

The Community Meal Calendar and Free Food Resources can be found on our website https://kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com/foodsecurity/. The Summer/Fall 2025 meal calendar will be released in the last week of August. If you notice an organization is missing from our documents, please contact us at info@kamloopsfoodpolicycouncil.com.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.