Off The Grill
Final Report 2013
The Crisis
An unprecedented crisis happened in September 2012: an almost 30 adolescent youth suicide pact. While the immediate crisis was averted, the underling critical issues remain. Groups of youth, mostly 12-16 year olds, congregate in Grandview-Woodland area, drinking to excess and too frequently ending up in emergency for overdose, self-harm and suicidality. There is a gap of coordinated community services for struggling adolescents poorly connected to school, families, and community. The vast majority of these youth of concern are aboriginal, and their individual stories include poverty, broken families, frequent moves, intergenerational trauma, loss, and cultural detachment. Off the Grill was started in May 2013 to engage youth in healing community services while preparing and consuming healthy food.
Engaging Youth through Food
This summer, Off the Grill served 1200 plates of food to community members and youth at Britannia Community Centre. Through shared meals, the community reclaimed the Britannia plaza as a shared space for all people. Nutritious food piled high on the plates, rich with proteins, fruit and salads. Youth prepared meals under guidance from a volunteer entrepreneur chef, Marti. Young people were exposed to new foods—from pork tenderloin to kale chips. By the end of the summer, those who initially turned down the salads and vegetables were asking for more.
The Rotary Club Arbutus Chapter, BC Children’s Hospital RICHER Initiative, Network of Inner City Service Society, and Britannia Community Centre joined together to run Off the Grill. It came into full swing in July with a generous donation from Rotary. This supported robust summer meals and construction of a hand-washing sink which brought the teen centre up to health department standards. A leadership team coordinated by Trevor White, youth and family counselor, brought healthy meals. Nine hundred hours of quality connection occurred with youth through the food program, which includes all of the time that youth participated in the program.
Youth skewered fruits alongside counselors and doctors leading to informal conversations about health, school, families, and friends. The outreach team had 195 hours of one-on-one time with youth over food preparation, building relationships that foster overall health and wellbeing.
RICHER stands for Responsive, Intersectoral, Child & Community, Health, Education and Research. RICHER has brought specialist pediatricians and primary care into community settings. Dr. Eva Moore, an Adolescent Medicine Pediatrician who helped start the program, is now approached by youth wanting to discuss serious health issues. Through relationships like these, this program ultimately aims to reconnect struggling youth with school, families and community.
Moving Forward
Feedback from youth showed that the meals felt like family meals and many youth relied on the food. Youth came up with a new name that reflects this: East Van Fest Fam. The program will move inside during the cooler seasons. Youth will shop, prepare and eat meals together weekly. Supports will continue. RICHER Initiative will have two new primary care specialized nurses in Britannia schools to support students and will also connect with youth through the food program. Vancouver Aboriginal Policing Centre is recruiting for their cultural programs. Recreational staff are also engaging youth in formal and informal activities. The team is seeking ongoing funding to contribute to food, expert staff and kitchen renovations.