LITTLE CURRENT—Receiving a prestigious award for her exemplary work towards ensuring food security is not surprising when you consider Vanessa Glasby has been interested in, and working towards this since she was very young.
“I’ve worked in food security since I was a teenager, including work in local markets, Food Manitoulin, the Child Poverty Taskforce, Northern Ontario Permaculture Research Institute (on the board), Island Jar and helped get the Western Manitoulin Community Garden started. Food security has driven me since I was a teenager,” stated Ms. Glasby last week after being awarded with a King Charles III Coronation Medal at the Feed Ontario Conference held in Ajax.
“On May 6, 2023, Canadians came together to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III—an historic event marking the first coronation of a sovereign of Canada in seven decades. This occasion highlighted themes that both King Charles III and Canadians hold dear, including service to others, environmental protection, youth empowerment and the importance of diversity.”
| Read our related story: |
| • I’m your neighbour: Vanessa Glasby is all about good food (2021) |
“To commemorate this milestone, the King Charles III Coronation Medal will be awarded to 30,000 deserving individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities, Canada, or the world. On behalf of Feed Ontario, and Food Banks Canada, we are pleased to inform you that you were nominated and selected as a recipient of this prestigious award,” a release notes.
“You have been honoured in the Community Service and Philanthropy category for your exceptional efforts to combat food insecurity within your community. Your work is truly inspiring, and we are grateful for the positive impact you continue to make,” the Feed Ontario release continues.
The medal was presented to Ms. Glasby and many other recipients at the annual Feed Ontario Conference ‘Seeds of Change,’ on June 9.
Ms. Glasby has been the Food Security Program Supervisor at Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR) for the past two years, starting in May 2023. “Helping to provide food security, and curbing food insecurity has always been something I have been very interested in. I grew up on a small farm, where we produced our own food.”
While attending Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS), Ms. Glasby continued to develop her interest in working towards providing for food security, and she saw the need in the community. “Since then, all of the job positions I have had, have been linked to food security production and distribution. At MSS I took part in the Halloween for Hunger event where students would go out trick or treating for canned food and non-perishable items. You could say everything has come full circle for me.”
“When I had the opportunity to begin working with MFR in the Food Bank in May 2023 it seemed to be a great opportunity and fit for me,” said Ms. Glasby, who earned her Masters degree in Non-profit Philanthropy leadership at Carleton University.
Colleen Hill, executive director of MFR said that, “over the two years that Vanessa has been in the role (at MFR) she has improved access to food across the Island, working with community partners and establishing food hubs with weekly deliveries. She and the team of volunteers do an outstanding job year-round supporting individuals and families living with food insecurity.”
“At the provincial conference all the organizations in attendance talked about the rising need for food, cost of living and the impacts of tariffs, and the fact that social assistance benefits and wages are not keeping up to these increases. More people who are employed full-time are needing to use food banks. Some of the organizations at the conference said that people in some cases have three jobs and still need support.”
On the issue of tariffs, “this is something all food banks are discussing, and Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada are looking at the risk and impacts and have made preparations. The bottom line is the ongoing rising cost of food is driving up the need for access (to food banks),” said Ms. Glasby.
“When I started at MFR I assumed I would be a lifer here. This position lines up with my education and my interests and passion. It is a perfect fit,” added Ms. Glasby. “We have great volunteers who work hard and are very compassionate, who we work with. With our staff and volunteers we have a great team.”
