KCCU awarded $10,000 grant in support of Loving Spoonful

Kingston Community Credit Union (KCCU) will support the Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) Garden and the local Indigenous community thanks to a grant from Wyth Financial.

The $10,000 grant, from Wyth’s 2022 Empowering Your Community Program, allows KCCU to partner with Kingston’s Loving Spoonful and the urban Indigenous community in Kingston area, including the Kingston Indigenous Language Nest (KILN) and the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle Eastern Region (IDHC) to support the Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) Garden.

Since 2011, Wyth has partnered with credit unions to support initiatives that build better communities. According to a release from KCCU, Wyth Financial’s Empowering Your Community Program granted a total of $100,000 to causes that empower youth, promote Indigenous knowledge and well-being, strengthen local food systems, fight climate change, reduce barriers to access and participation and make the world a better place. This year 16 awards were presented: 4 valued at $10,000 and 12 valued at $5,000.

KCCU said that the grant funds will go directly to support the Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) Garden situated in Katarokwi (greater Kingston area). Funds will help provide trees, vegetable seedlings, traditional medicines such as white sage and cedar, an irrigation system and a solar water pump. The award also supports Indigenous youth who will maintain the garden, support land-based language learning programs offered by KILN at the IFS Garden, and distribute garden produce throughout the Indigenous community, according to the release.

The second component of this project is the creation and distribution of 100 Home Garden Kits to members of the Indigenous community who are unable to participate in the IFS Garden due to accessibility challenges. This is an adaptation of Loving Spoonful’s existing “Small Space Garden Kits”. According to the release, Kingston Community Credit Union has directly contributed to this project by offering financial support to help with the cost of materials for the kits: planters, soil, seeds, and seedlings purchased from Kenhte:ke Seed Sanctuary, and printing of instruction booklets and volunteer support for distribution.

To find out more about KCCU visit them at www.kccu.ca.