Canadian Volunteers United in Action (CANAVUA): Mobilizing Food Access

By: Esther D.

The Canadian Volunteers United in Action Society, better known as CANAVUA, is a local, Edmonton based, nonprofit organization that provides community services to encourage volunteerism in Alberta, particularly within the Francophone community. CANAVUA was started in 2009 and has grown their services and programs in the present day. 

CANAVUA offers many services and programs that are deeply integrated within the community. For example, they offer volunteer placements, capacity building, driver training courses, and they also have a Community Service Learning (CSL) collaboration with the University of Alberta. More importantly, they operate a food bank in Edmonton’s Francophone community, in La Cité Francophone. Finally and most impressively, they have a food truck service that distributes hot meals to the unhoused, isolated individuals and families, newcomers, and those who face mobility barriers throughout Edmonton. 

Every Wednesday at La Cité Francophone (8627 91 Street) the CANAVUA food truck is there serving hot meals which include: rice, potato wedges, and meat. They also provide meals based on dietary needs, for example, there are vegetarian friendly options. CANAVUA aims to run the food truck twice a week, which helps them reach approximately 700 people, in contrast to when they run the food truck once a week, they reach 350 to 380 people. CANAVUA started the food truck program on April 26, 2010 to respond to an identified need in the city of Edmonton within the Francophone community. 

The CANAVUA food truck also travels around the North and South sides of Edmonton, ensuring that no one is left behind. They are located where there is a need in the community, and they also encourage people to contact them if they require food. And in the spirit of collaboration, CANAVUA also works with different community leagues around Edmonton who inform community members of CANAVUA. 

CANAVUA is unique in the way that it tackles food security by increasing physical accessibility to food. Perhaps this creative and innovative approach can encourage us to think how we can decrease the barriers food-insecure communities face.   

If you would like to know more about CANAVUA please visit their website: https://www.canavua.org/services/
If you need to access the form to receive food, here is the form to fill out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEb25IvKZnjUq_cCnCSJMBbBly3jEA2DVQpvylPUbeCNffDQ/closedform