Chef Paul Stewart of Cool-Aid: Feeding the neediest gets more challenging every day

Chef Paul Stewart, the Food Service Manager at the Victoria Cool-Aid Society, was recently interviewed for an op-ed in The Globe & Mail on the challenges social services organizations are facing around sourcing nutritious meals on a tight budget.

Stewart talked about the inconsistent and limited funding opportunities for food services at Cool-Aid's numerous housing and shelters. With a budget of $3/meal, at 1000 meals per day, they rely heavily on rescued food from the Mustard Seed and the Food Share Network, and are able to supplement fresh produce and local meat from the South Island FarmHub's Farmbucks program.

He also taps into programs like Farmbucks, run by The South Island FarmHub, to provide local produce to food programs. Cool Aid also rents a small plot of land on the outskirts of Victoria, where the plan is to grow fresh food with the help of volunteer farmers.

Cool-Aid Society has been a Farmbucks partner since 2020, ordering fresh fruit and vegetables to serve to residents at facilities like Mount Edwards supported senior housing. We're proud to be able to provide

Thank you Paul, for all that you do for our community and for being a champion for local food--and truly understanding the connection and joy that good food can bring to those who need it most.

"Each meal must consist of a meat protein, vegetable(s), a starch like potatoes or rice, juice, and a dessert. Beyond the basic requirements, Mr. Stewart tries to provide fresh, local, seasonal food to his clients, along with a bit of joy.

'Food isn’t just nourishment, it’s community and connection,' he says. 'Many of our clients have never experienced those.'"

Learn more about Cool-Aid's food and nutrition programs and the Farmbucks program and how you can help feed our community.