Food Families · 4 ˜˚˚˛˝˜˙ˆˇ˘ˇ SUMMARY EVALUATION REPORT Food Families Model Food Families is a dynamic program in which a group of neighbourhood families come together

Food FamiliesSUMMARY EVALUATION RESULTS

JUNE 2015

2 FOOD FAMILIES SUMMARY EVALUATION REPORT

Acknowledgements

Food Families would not have been possible without our CYN partners, lead facilitators, workshop facilitators, and families. We would like to acknowledge and thank them for their commitment, contributions, and enthusiasm.

We would like to thank Coupons for Hunger for their invaluable support as lead facilitators. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, experience, and passion for food literacy.

LUSO Community Services, Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre, and South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre served as community support organizations and we would like to thank them for their contributions.

We are also grateful for the hosting, space, and child-minding provided by Childreach, Salvation Army Hillcrest, and Southdale Chaplaincy.

Special thanks to Bernardin Canning, Chef Keith Walters, Chef Liam Brannigan, Libro Financial, and the Middlesex-London Health Unit for sharing their expertise as workshop facilitators.

Finally, we would like to thank the dynamic and passionate families who were engaged in Food Families.

3FOOD FAMILIES SUMMARY EVALUATION REPORT

Table of Contents

Food Families Model ................................................................................................ 4

Evaluation Context .................................................................................................... 6

Context ................................................................................................................... 6 Evaluation Objectives ....................................................................................... 6 Outcomes and Indicators ................................................................................ 6

Evaluation Methodology ......................................................................................... 8

Data Collection Methods ................................................................................ 8 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 8

Demonstrated Outcomes ....................................................................................... 9

Findings and Observations Summary ............................................................. 20

Skill Application ................................................................................................ 20 Healthy Eating ................................................................................................... 20 Group Dynamics ............................................................................................... 20 Community Building .......................................................................................... 21

Process and Project Design Analysis .............................................................. 23

Promising Practices ......................................................................................... 23 Design Recommendations ............................................................................ 24

Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 27


Food Families Model

Food Families is a dynamic program in which a group of neighbourhood families come together on a regular basis to form a network that supports, encourages, and mentors one another using food – purchasing, growing, sharing, learning, and celebrating – as a galvanizing focus. The goal of Food Families is to build skills that:

• Increase families’ buying power; and • Increase the sharing of practical and affordable ways to eat well.

In addition to these goals, Food Families seeks to increase families’ social connections with other neighbourhood residents and organizations. Participating families are supported by community organizations and stakeholders who work together to provide opportunities and remove barriers for participants. Opportunities include providing families with:

• The technical ‘know-how’ of couponing, bulk buying, and collectively preparing larger quantities of food;

• Opportunities to work with other community partners in order to access larger quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g., sharing transportation to local markets and collective purchasing options); and

• Community space to gather, learn from one another, and build relationships.

Food Families is designed with sustainable measures in place. Through participation, co-learning, and relationship building, families will have the tools they need to continue to work collectively to meet their goals while championing and mentoring new families to participate in the same opportunities. Community stakeholders champion families by providing mentorship, assistance, and resources to facilitate family and community success.

The first Food Families pilot took place in the Argyle neighbourhood from October 2013 to April 2014, supported by a network of partners. Ten families participated. From October 2014 to March 2015, 50 families in three neighbourhoods participated in Food Families.

By providing residents with sustainable opportunities to learn and share, while also building social capital, Food Families aligns with the second component of the Child and Youth Agenda’s Basic Needs strategy that seeks to, “build resident capacity, solve problems, and create sustainable solutions.” The opportunities will help reduce the impact of poverty by increasing the buying power of participating residents.

Food Families supports families in raising, “happy, healthy children and youth today… caring, creative, responsible adults tomorrow.”


Food Families has three core outcomes:

• Increase families’ buying power;• Increase families’ knowledge, skills, and confidence around food

literacy/financial literacy; and• Build a “network” of families that support, encourage, and mentor

each other.

The five focus areas of the Food Families model provide an overview of the types of activities which families might choose to engage in. The notion of choosing is important because families will identify and prioritize the opportunities that make sense for their needs and interests. Food Families is about bringing together all opportunities in a single, cohesive model predicated on resident-driven activities that build capacity and social capital.

PURCHASING• Financial literacy• Budgeting• Bulk buying• Couponing, etc.

1

3

5

2

4

GROWING• Backyard gardening• Community gardens• Community Supported

Agriculture (CSAs)

PREPARING & COOKING• Collective kitchen• Cooking• Canning• Meal planning

SHARING & LEARNING• Safe food handling• Recipes• Food security/

food charter

CELEBRATING• Mentorship,

stewardship• Family events• Neighbourhood

events

Determining NeighbourhoodReadinessPrior to project launch, a recruitment process was initiated based on neighbourhood readiness.

The following were criteria used:

• Organizational champions that provide:

- Family recruitment - Meeting space - Commercial kitchen

facilities - Possible storage facilities - Access to transportation - A high level of engagement

in the project

• Neighbourhood support including:

- Community development staff to support/champion

- Collaboration of committed organizations

• CYN/City-wide supports including:

- Committed partners willing to share expertise, etc.

• 15-20 interested families

We have seen the success of food initiatives such as collective kitchens and community gardens in neighbourhoods around the world. Food Families extends this model to include all field-to-fork opportunities - families growing, buying, cooking, learning, and celebrating food together to increase their buying power, food, and financial literacy.


Evaluation Context

ContextFood Families was held in three neighbourhoods across London, Ontario from October 2014 to March 2015, including:

1. Carling Neighbourhood – 9 Families 2. Central London Neighbourhood – 20 Families 3. Westminster Neighbourhood – 21 Families

Evaluation ObjectivesAn evaluation of the Food Families project was conducted between October 2014 and March 2015. The objectives of the evaluation were:

1. To gather data that will inform the development of the Food Families project; 2. To provide preliminary findings related to outcomes; 3. To document the successes, challenges, and lessons learned; and 4. To identify factors that will support model transferability into other neighbourhoods.

Outcomes and IndicatorsAn evaluation framework was created to guide the evaluation process. The evaluation framework included the following outcomes and indicators:

Outcomes Indicators

Increase families’ buying power by augmenting strategic shopping skills.

• Families have learned new ways to save money. • Families are saving money on their groceries. • Families have more options when they purchase

food.

Increase sharing of practical, affordable ways to eat well, and increase families’ knowledge, skills, and confidence around food literacy.

• Families have increased their ability to prepare and cook their own food.

• Families have increased competence, confidence, and self-efficacy in their abilities.

• Families are eating nutritious, well-balanced meals when possible.

Provide community space to gather, learn from one another, and build relationships.

• Families have greater connectivity to their neighbourhood/neighbours.

• Families are actively engaged/participating in Food Families.

1

2

3


The outcomes and indicators above are not meant to suggest families lack these skills. Indeed, many are likely experts in one or more areas and we expected a great deal of learning to come from families sharing expertise with one another. For evaluation purposes, we were seeking to understand if all participants have skills at the end of the program, regardless of whether they began with them or not; though we think there’s always room to learn a new tip or trick when it comes to food.


Evaluation Methodology

Data Collection MethodsThe evaluation incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry, including:

Focus Groups Three focus groups were held, one at each Food Families location, with Food Families participants. In total, 43 participants engaged in the focus groups. Focus groups were 30 minutes in duration.

SurveysAt the end of each focus group, Food Families participants completed a paper survey. In total, 43 participants completed the survey.

InterviewsFood Families participants were invited to complete a 30 minute phone interview. In total, 21 participants completed a phone interview.

Two facilitators, 6 guest speakers, and 1 volunteer also participated in 30 minute phone interviews.

Data Analysis Focus group, survey, and interview responses were analyzed at the total aggregate level. Results were mapped against the project outcomes and indicators. A process analysis identified promising practices and recommendations.

The following sections of the report include the findings derived from the analysis.


Demonstrated Outcomes

of families learned skills that will help them to save on groceries.

As a result of their experience with Food Families, families now use the following techniques to save money:

When asked to list their top 3 skills learned at Food Families, families reported saving money on groceries

as one of the top skills.

Deals from flyers Price matching Couponing

of families learned new ways to save money.

OUTCOME

DEMONSTRATED RESULTS

INDICATOR

Increase families’ buying power by augmenting strategic shopping skills.

Families have learned new ways to save money.

1

Stories of Impact:

“I learned how to save money.” “ I feel more confident using different resources available and sourcing out coupons

and deals.” “ I am better at managing money, using coupons, price matching, and using Harvest

Bucks at the farmers’ market.” “ If I didn’t do this, I would be at square one spending more than I am now. It would

cost more. I wouldn’t have thought of couponing. I can save money for a rainy day.”

100%

95% 90% 79%

86%


Food Families helped 95% of families save money on their monthly grocery bill.

Families saved between $20 - $400 monthly

on groceries as a result of the skills they learned in

Food Families.

was the average amount families saved on groceries

each month.


INDICATOR

Families are saving money on their groceries.

Stories of Impact:

“I was in shock when I realized how much I was saving.” “ I am spending the same amount of money on food but I’m getting better quality food

for the same price as before by using couponing and price matching.” “Shopping lists helped me budget for food and save the number of trips I go shopping.” “ I am able to purchase things I want because I have extra money to spend. I can now

stretch my money further.” “Harvest Bucks have helped me save money on fruits and vegetables.” “ I watch my prices a lot closer. I price match as well. I buy large quantities of something

when it’s on sale and then freeze it and eat it later.” “ I used to impulse buy and stuff would go bad. I just get what I need now. I stretch the

money more so I can get $100 a week on groceries. I save that way.”

$127



INDICATOR

Families have more options when they purchase food.

of families reported they have more or different options to purchase food.

of families have used Harvest Bucks at a local farmers’ market.

Due to their involvement in Food Families, families:

Increased the number of times they accessed

a farmers’ market.

Decreased the number of times they accessed

emergency food sources.

Decreased the number of times they accessed restaurants.

Decreased the number of times they accessed

convenience stores.

94% 71% 62% 58%

Stories of Impact:

“ I have a better understanding of coupons and a better use of the web to get better pricing and see where the best deals are. How to manage money has been great.”

“I’ve always had an awesome experience using Harvest Bucks.” “ I liked going to the market and picking out what I wanted. Because I have had this

experience with Harvest Bucks, I would now return. If I didn’t have Harvest Bucks I would have never gone.”

“I like going to the farmers’ market for fresh vegetables and fruit, and it’s cheaper.” “ I’ve had a decrease with restaurants because it is not as healthy as I thought it was.

I can make the food at home and save money.” “ I used to go to the Food Bank 2-3 times a month and now I only go once. Now I don’t

think making good food is expensive so I just make it at home instead of buying food from restaurants.”

“ Some of the things I learned in the program have led to me going to the Food Bank less often.”

80% 70%



of families have increased their ability to cook healthy meals.

of families have increased their ability to prepare healthy meals.

OUTCOME


INDICATOR

Increase sharing of practical, affordable ways to eat well, and increase families’ knowledge, skills and confidence around food literacy.

Families have increased their ability to prepare and cook their own food.

2

Stories of Impact:

“I learned how to properly chop with a knife.” “I learned how to prepare meals in bulk for future use.” “I now have a proper knife which helps with meal prep.” “I share my cooking abilities and meals with family.”

80% 76%



INDICATOR

Families have increased competence, confidence, and self-efficacy in their abilities.

As a result of participating in Food Families:

of families can use kitchen tools and

appliances.

of families can prepare a meal with multiple dishes and have them

ready at the same time.

of families have become more confident in their

cooking skills.

of families have increased knowledge about how to cook

healthy meals on a budget.

Stories of Impact:

“I now feel more confident and patient to make food.” “It’s so much easier now.” “It gave me the confidence to get more involved in cooking at home.” “I feel more confident with the different resources available.”

95% 95%

85% 79%



INDICATOR

Families are eating nutritious, well-balanced meals when possible.

Stories of Impact:

“ I’m really pushing for the kids to eat healthier. We’ve all noticed our health is getting better.”

“I learned how to eat healthy food.” “ I am more aware of what I’m buying and it re-directed me to make healthy choices. It lit

a fire for healthy eating.” “ I started reading ingredients of what I buy. I make sure they don’t have unhealthy

ingredients.” “ At group, we made a lot of different meals with fruits and vegetables. I thought my kids

wouldn’t like it but they did so I started to buy more.”

of families can adjust a recipe to make it healthier.

of families reported that whenever they can, their family eats nutritious meals.

100% 78%



of families know where to go for information, resources, and neighbourhood activities

related to food and nutrition.

As a result of being involved in the Food Families program:

of families developed relationships outside of the program with other Food

Families members.

OUTCOME


INDICATOR

Provide community space to gather, learn from one another, and build relationships.

Families have greater connectivity to their neighbourhood/neighbours.

3

Stories of Impact:

“I have more friends.” “We share information about food savings and healthy eating.” “We cook dinners together.” “We will meet or call to discuss what deals are on in what grocery stores.” “ I really like the group activities and cooking with others. It took me out of my comfort

zone to try new things and meet new people.”

80% 55%



INDICATOR

Families are actively engaged/participating in Food Families.

Stories of Impact:

“Pretty much everything I learned I shared. I wanted to pass along the knowledge.” “I taught others how to price match.” “I share my cooking abilities and meals with family.” “I told my friends about the exciting new recipes.” “I stayed because I enjoyed the people – it really felt like home.” “I told my neighbour about price matching techniques. I share coupons with my friends.”

of families would like to continue to be involved in something like Food

Families in their neighbourhood.

of families shared money saving techniques with friends outside of the Food Families program.

90% 76%



Findings and Observations Summary

In addition to the outcomes reported in the Demonstrated Outcomes section above, there were additional findings that should be considered in relation to the impact of the Food Families program. Each of the sub-sections below focus on a short-term outcome achievement. However, many of the short-term outcomes have potential long-term impacts that warrant further exploration in subsequent evaluations.

Skill ApplicationInitial findings indicate that participants enhanced their skills and confidence. There is also evidence to support outcome achievement related to knowledge transfer, skill application, and behaviour change. Not only are families learning skills to save money on groceries, but results also demonstrated that they are putting these skills into action. For example, families saved an average of $127 monthly on food because they applied the skills they learned in Food Families.

Further, families reported that they are now price matching, couponing, comparing prices, and preparing plans or lists when shopping for food. For example, one participant explained, “I’m more organized in planning meals for the week. Before I would just wander around the store and pick up stuff. Now I plan ahead by looking at the flyers, seeing what’s on sale, and then picking my week’s meals.” Families are changing their purchasing habits and, as a result, achieving positive outcomes related to buying power, healthy eating, and saving money.

Healthy Eating The evidence demonstrates that the participants in the Food Families program gained knowledge, skills, and tools to eat healthy and make healthy choices. Specific workshops taught skills in canning, storing, food preparation, and shopping for healthy food in an affordable way. One participant indicated that Food Families encouraged her to make healthy food choices. She explained, “I am more aware of what I’m buying and it re-directed me to make healthy choices. It lit a fire for healthy eating.”

Food Families also contributed to awareness and knowledge of healthy eating and inspired families to change their eating habits. When asked what impact Food Families has had, families said that it has changed their cooking and eating habits. A Food Families participant reported, “I like the variety of the foods that I am trying now that I didn’t really think about before.” Food Families provided opportunities for participants to practice healthy eating, which resulted in a change in behavior related to shopping, preparing, and planning their food options each week.

Group DynamicsFamilies felt a greater sense of community, collaboration, and deepened relationships between members of the group as a result of their participation in Food Families. For example, participants said they enjoyed “being able to work together as a group” and being part of a “relaxed environment.”


It is evident that families have learned and shared together in the kitchen and have put this into practice outside of Food Families. One participant explained, “I am teaching my daughters how to cook.” These types of experiences are indicative of short-term impacts on the family unit and potential long-term impacts of generational skill building.

Community BuildingAs a result of participating, families reported they were able to learn how to access new resources in their neighbourhood. Food Families provided participants with links to different resources in their community to support budgeting, healthy eating, and relationship building.

Participants shared resources with neighbours, friends, family, and strangers in the grocery store. For example, participants described “price matching with strangers in grocery stores” and “walking up to people and sharing ideas.” Families have learned new information and have shared what they have learned with others in their community. One of the members of Food Families shared, “we have a collective kitchen in our community and I am happy that we can share what we learn in Food Families, make meals, and share them with other people.” When families share with individuals outside the Food Families program, community capacity building occurs.



Process and Project Design Analysis

An essential component of the evaluation process was examining the design of the Food Families program. The analysis resulted in the identification of promising practices and design recommendations.

Promising PracticesPromising practices for the Food Families program included:

The involvement of the facilitators was beneficial due to their specific expertise in the food sector. Additionally, their knowledge and expertise supported learning and skill development in a variety of areas. Having consistent, knowledgeable, and skilled facilitators is a foundational component of the program.

Participants specifically noted how much they enjoyed the fun and engaging learning environment that was offered in Food Families. It surpassed their initial expectations and provided opportunities to engage in the topics they were learning, such as food preparation, couponing, price matching, and canning. Food Families is a reciprocal learning environment where facilitators and participants learn from each other.

Workshop facilitators shared their knowledge, time, and resources at each session. They shared their expertise but also developed relationships and engaged with the participants in an impactful way.

The inclusive environment of the program was noted as an integral component of Food Families. Participants reported that they appreciated the non-judgmental atmosphere when working with the facilitators, community members, and other participants.

Based on demonstrated results, the utilization of the Food Families model has resulted in outcome achievement related to families' buying power, healthy eating, and relationship building.

Program Leadership

Learning Environment

Workshop Facilitators

Inclusivity

The Model


The Food Families program provided an outlet for neighbours to interact socially and build connections with one another. This project demonstrates the importance of facilitating opportunities to build social capital.

One of the successful practices of the Food Families program is engaging with existing community groups. Participants felt comfortable with one another and said that that the Food Families program provided something new to look forward to within their established community.

Consideration should be given to the organization and management of the Food Families program. It may be beneficial to have processes and practices in place for participants and facilitators to create a consistent experience. These practices would promote equity, fairness, and integrity within the entire Food Families community.

Participants described how Food Families made a difference in the lives of their friends, families, and neighbourhoods because of the resources and tools they learned and shared. The program inherently promotes community capacity building when participants share techniques with their community.

The Food Families model should continue to be refined in preparation for continuation and expansion of the program. Considerations such as developing a consistent curriculum plan and having designated facilitators with expertise to match curriculum goals should be explored. Food Families could develop ideas for a follow-up program that would build on the skills and knowledge gained by participants and introduce new content while continuing to enhance the general neighbourhood and community.

The tools and resources that were provided to participants were highlighted as an essential component of Food Families. Specifically, Harvest Bucks allowed participants to access food sources such as farmers’ markets that they otherwise would not have had. Continuing to provide resources will allow and encourage participants to use the skills they learned in the program at home and in their community.

Design RecommendationsDesign recommendations were derived from participant, facilitator, and volunteer feedback:

Social Opportunities

Group Formation

Organization and Management

Community Engagement

Program Continuation

and Expansion

Tangible Tools and Resources


Training future facilitators would be beneficial to the program. This would eliminate the risk of facilitator burnout and also provide a seamless service delivery experience for all families participating in various communities.

Suggestions for future topics and content options were provided by participants and facilitators. It was reported that workshops relating to couponing and food storage should be longer in duration.

Relationship building is an important outcome of the Food Families program. Working with established groups in the community provides a comfortable environment for families with shared experiences to interact and explore learning together. It is important to incorporate specific relationship building activities and components throughout the program.

Both participants and facilitators reported that they would like the program to run weekly instead of bi-weekly. This would potentially increase the rate of attendance, as it creates a regular schedule for participants involved with the program. However, this recommendation would likely require additional resources, recruitment, and training of additional and reliable facilitators.

It may be useful to provide training for facilitators before they begin their first session with Food Families. This would ensure that all facilitators understand the outcomes and goals, demographics, and group dynamics. A portion of this training should include community development best practices. As the program continues to grow, it may be advantageous to include outside professionals such as a dietician to support and complement the curriculum.

Consideration should be given to the evaluative process. In subsequent evaluations it will be important to ensure that the collection of data is gathered from the beginning of the program. Not only will this process allow for valuable data to be collected throughout the entire program, but it can also provide opportunities for both participants and facilitators to reflect on their learnings throughout the experience.

As the program continues to develop and expand to include more families, an industrial kitchen with more equipment, tools, capacity, and space will be required to allow for robust and varied skill development and training opportunities. This type of location may already be available in the community but would require community partnerships to secure additional space.

Train-The-Trainer

Topics

Group Dynamics

Schedule

Facilitators

Evaluation

Location and Resources



Conclusion

The preliminary findings from the evaluation are promising. The data collected demonstrates short-term impact related to:

• Increasing families’ buying power through learning new ways to save. Families are saving money on groceries and families have more options when they purchase food.

• Increasing sharing of practical, affordable ways to eat well, and increasing families’ knowledge, skills, and confidence around food literacy in that families have increased their ability to prepare and cook their own food, families have increased confidence in their abilities, and families are eating nutritious well-balanced meals when possible.

• Increasing community building by providing community space to gather, learn from one another, and build relationships because families have greater connectivity to their neighbourhood and neighbours, and families are actively engaged and participating in Food Families.

The promising practices and design recommendations should be considered to further enhance and develop the Food Families program and expand the model to other neighbourhoods.

KOVACS GROUPKOVACS GROUP

Prepared by: Kovacs Group Inc. 287 Oxford St. EastLondon, ON N6A 1V3226.663.6233www.kovacsgroup.ca

Prepared for: Child & YouthNetwork

Food FamiliesSUMMARY EVALUATION RESULTS

Documents

Food Families · 4 ˜˚˚˛˝˜˙ˆˇ˘ˇ SUMMARY EVALUATION REPORT Food Families Model Food Families is a dynamic program in which a group of neighbourhood families come together