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Nanaimo Community Kitchens Society provides access to economical, nutritious food for families and individuals living on a restricted income. We work to increase food security in Nanaimo by providing programs that build food preparation skills. Participants in turn can pass these skills on to their families. Often basic cooking skills are lost from generation to generation. By cooking together we feed individuals, families, and our communities.

Nanaimo Community Kitchens' does not have a commercial kitchen space that it rents out. We bring our programs out in the community and utilize kitchens throughout the city. Most of our programs are linked to other non-profit groups who have a kitchen available for us to use.  

How to Get Involved

We support individuals, community groups, and agencies in their efforts to start and maintain community kitchens in Nanaimo. New groups are being formed all the time. Call us at 250-753-7470 or email us to find out how you might benefit from joining a new or existing group. 

Donations can be made through Canadahelps.org or e-transfers can be sent to nanaimocommunitykitchens@gmail.com.

What is a Community Kitchen?

A community kitchen is a group of people who get together on a regular basis to cook healthy, nutritious, meals. From recipe selection to shopping, cooking, and clean-up, everyone participates. Within the groups, participants find fun, friendships, and the tools to stretch their food dollars. The quantity of food that is prepared is divided among group members to take home. Community Kitchens are participant-driven, with each group deciding how their kitchen operates.

Why Join? 

• Stretch your food dollars
•  Learn safe food handling practices
•  Try new recipes
•  Cooking from scratch made easy
•  Share your cooking skills with others
•  Have fun while building skills and friendships
•  Build self-esteem and confidence in planning and preparing meals

What is Food Security?

When a community is food secure, all of its citizens have dignified access to affordable, good-quality, nutritious food. While this may seem simple enough to achieve, the effects of globalization, the rising costs of real estate, and growing income disparity, are all conspiring to disconnect the average citizen from the source of their food.

As people lose the ability and skill to grow and prepare their own food, they become dependent on distant suppliers, out of season produce, and processed foods. In short, the source of their food is not secure and the quality is compromised. This problem is compounded in a place like Vancouver Island where the added burden of transportation compromises the cost and quality of even the basics.

Nanaimo Community Kitchens is working to increase food security in Nanaimo by providing programs that build food preparation skills of participants. They in turn can pass them on to their families. Often basic cooking skills are lost from generation to generation.  By cooking together we feed individuals, families, and our communities.