Starve the Stigma

Join the Movement

#NOURISH is a grassroots movement, launched as an exhibition in 2018, aimed at eliminating the stigma surrounding Food (In)Security through community conversations and open solutions.

About #NOURISH

The Community Impact Lab, under the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation at the Georgian College Orillia campus, tasked student teams with examining a regional narrative around Food (In)Security. The teams were a collective of students involved in an alternative field placement opportunity – the Community Impact Projects. The goal was to “see” this systemic issue through the lens of our Community Partners’ clients and from there, ideate possible futures with plausible solutions to close the gaps. The end result was #NOURISH, an open collection of projects, ideas and initiatives that will hopefully inspire organizations, individuals and communities to adopt, adjust, pilot and share, in an effort to create global conversations around the realities of Food (In)Security.

What is #SUP?

In traditional vernacular, the term “sup” was used in reference to dining and taking drink or liquid food by sips or spoonfuls. (E.g. “tonight we will sup on foreign delicacies”). There’s suggestion it’s where the term “supper” originated from. In modern times, we use the term “sup” as an abbreviated form of “what’s up?”, an informal greeting designed to elicit conversation from another person. So the link then, is that we are using “Nourish”, to do both of these things at the same time. We are addressing Food (In)Security by starting a dialogue about stigma and its impact on the issue. The #Sup then, reflects both a desire to address the idea of eating, alongside a desire to converse about it.

#NOURISH began by asking the question – How might we ‘shine the light’ on stigmas that perpetuate the ‘realities’ of Food (In)Security? – it was catalyized with an exhibition that launched 8 compelling solutions. From here we left our communities with the challenge to starve the stigma.

By modeling the courage needed to share our stories – and more importantly the faces behind those stories – we’re seeking to inspire and empower our community to talk authentically, add to and amplify the issue of Food (In)Security to collectively cultivate innovative and sustainable solutions.

Because our misunderstandings, biases, fears and self-imposed alienation are limiting our collective potential to impact this issue. Because we are done with feeling shameful about it. Because if we keep quiet, we silence the voice of innovation and faces that need that voice.

Ideas Designed For Collective Impact.

Our Theory of Change

Join The Movement

Open Solutions. Open Innovation.

Be part of #NOURISH by starting here. We have done most of the work all we need you to do is to become the catalyst to make change happen! The following are a collection of conceptualized projects, along with next steps for organizations, innovative citzen groups and communities to adopt, adapt and pilot. The goal is to start local and regional conversations around Food (In)Security using open collaboration to share how you are working with the #NOURISH envisioned solutions. Each project looks through a social services, human centred-lens in an effort to create collective impact. We challenge you to select a project or a mash-up of several and share what you are doing to starve the stigma in your community!