On October 15, 2024, The Oak Tree Project awarded its $20,000 grand prize to Community FEWD (Food Equity With Dignity). The innovative program, which repurposes food otherwise headed to landfill to support those facing food insecurity, won the prize at the Oak Tree 9 finale at the Guelph Farmers’ Market. The evening included pitches from three other finalists, with the winner selected by a combination of guest votes and evaluations from a panel of community experts on food insecurity. Thanks to a generous guest, a surprise gift of $5,000 was donated to the other three runners-up in addition to a $2,500 runner-up prize from The Oak Tree Project.

Food Insecurity is a Community Crisis

Our community is facing a food insecurity crisis. Oak Tree 9 will help educate, support, and raise awareness about the amazing work Guelph/Wellington charities do to help people in our community access the nutritious food they need to thrive. Guided by a panel of expert community judges who understand the social, economic and logistical challenges involved, we are inviting local charities to submit applications for our $20,000 grand prize. The money can be used to expand or create programming that will get healthy and nutritious food to those who need it.

Food security is a simple concept that requires a lot of complex coordination. At its core, food security is having consistent, reliable access to safe and nutritious food that brings nourishment and joy. Food security needs a lot of systems (production, storage, distribution and retail) to work closely together. It also requires everyone to have the financial means they need to buy food that is meaningful to them.

In addition to being a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, and a basic human right, food security is a social, economic and environmental driver for our community. Like the other social determinants of health that The Oak Tree Project has explored, food security is an opportunity to build a more equitable, vibrant and resilient community.

While it’s easy to overlook the importance of food security when it is not a personal challenge, it is a real barrier for many families to reach their full potential. According to recent data, as many as 1 in 4 children in Ontario lives in a food insecure household, and 18% of households in Guelph-Wellington identify as food insecure. Most of us likely know someone who worries about where their next meal will come from.

Thank you to all of the community organizations that submitted applications for funding. Your excellent submissions make our judges’ work difficult!

Watch the montage trailer of our finalists’ video pitches!

Our fifth-place finalist was the Centre Wellington Community Foundation, which unfortunately had to step away from the competition. We thank them for their submission and excellent idea.