At Rise Up Indigenous Wellness in Salmon Arm, food security is an ever-present focus.

The aim of the non-profit society, which has been in the region for about two-and-a-half-years, is to support Indigenous families, youth and children in the region who are off reserve or away from their home communities.

Executive director Launa Payne and program director Sherrelle Anderson explained they have made food security for families an integral part of the holistic programs they offer.

鈥淎t the start we were running programs, but there was such a huge need for providing food security for families. We found that our programs were an opportunity to distribute food because, particularly during all the no-meeting pandemic guidelines, our traditional way of sharing food, which would have been cultural gatherings where people take things home after, was interrupted,鈥� said Payne.

They started doing things such as send-home packages, while keeping in mind the aim to decolonize the diet as much as possible. They looked at sending more fish and different game when it was available, for example, or even chicken and beef. And avoiding processed foods, sugar and starch, as much as possible.

With their Helping Hands program, Indigenous people who want to lend a hand come in and everyone builds hampers together, which are then distributed to families in need.

鈥淲hen we distribute to our groups, we found this is a good way to build relationships. It kind of takes away from us trying to advertise what we鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 just part of the package. If you鈥檙e in our group, you get the food, so it takes away the stigmatization in a way. It鈥檚 for everybody in the group, it鈥檚 not just like picking and choosing families. It seems like the easier way for us to help anybody. Because you don鈥檛 always know who鈥檚 in need too,鈥� explained Anderson.

鈥淭here鈥檚 less talk-down, added Payne. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e doing a food group or say, one of our things was doing Cook with Kids, so we make food people can bring home to cook at home with their children. But some of the prep stuff would be the parents visiting and connecting. Just that we鈥檙e all helping each other out, rather than a saviour mentality.鈥�

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The women noted they鈥檙e currently grant-dependent and are still building and growing their organization.

They have reached out to local bands and have working relationships with Splatsin and Neskonlith. They expect as they grow they may overlap with all four bands.

The women agree that building collaboration between different organizations which are providing food is important.

鈥淲e can do it in a lot of different ways,鈥� said Payne, noting Rise Up donated . 鈥淲e鈥檙e all doing the same thing 鈥� it鈥檚 just how can we help support each other鈥檚 programming.鈥�

Payne said a number of Salmon Arm businesses have been very supportive, such as Grillers Meats, Askew鈥檚 Foods and Save On Foods.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing we are doing well right now as a community.鈥�

The women emphasized that direct food support is huge, particularly with current high prices.

鈥淎ny way we can connect around that,鈥� Payne said. 鈥淚n the fall the last couple of years, we have done some canning and processing and workshops with families around that. How do we preserve food, how do we get healthy food on a budget 鈥� a callout if there鈥檚 any excess at local farms, it would be useful for that.鈥�

Their vision for the future is to see more food programs that are holistic and family based, which would require having more access to funding to be able to feed more families and keep supports in place.

For more information on Rise Up Indigenous Wellness programs, visit the website or email: indigenousriseup@gmail.com.

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