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Executive Chef Wade Rowland in the garden area at Cheakamus Centre.

The Cheakamus Foundation for Environmental Learning is a recipient of the United Way Lower Mainland’s COVID-19 Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF).

The ECSF supports local community service organizations to provide rapid, innovative emergency community support to vulnerable community members during COVID-19.

Cheakamus Centre will use the $19,500 funding for its Transforming Spaces into Community Places food hub project.

This project will focus on enhancing food growing practices and food education at Cheakamus Centre.

“With the temporary suspension of onsite programs and facility rentals due to COVID-19, we saw an opportunity to help fill a community need for garden space and food education,” said Cathy Jenkins, project manager for campus renewal.

Pollinator garden at Cheakamus Centre.

The ECSF grant builds on a recently awarded Local Food Infrastructure federal grant, which will be put toward the revitalization of Cheakamus Centre’s teaching kitchen. The upgraded teaching kitchen and adjacent farm and gardens will become a hub for community-based food-related education and activities.

“We are excited to help contribute to local food security through sharing resources and knowledge,” stated Executive Chef Wade Rowland. “In addition to growing food, we will be conducting modified workshops centred on the culinary applications for home and school gardens in the weeks and months ahead”.

For more information on the United Way Lower Mainland's COVID-19 ECSF, please click here.

For more information about Cheakamus Centre, please click here.