Food Has the Power to Heal

When you Google the word Food, the initial matches you are presented with are all related to restaurants – food that tantalizes the taste buds! A little further down the list you are offered a definition of Food by Wikipedia:

“Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism’s cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.”

Hmmm – not as entertaining as the restaurant descriptions. Finally you are presented with links to community food banks – where traditionally food has been a means to an end – to fill your stomach.

Eden Food for Change started off as a traditional food bank, serving community members in west Mississauga, needing assistance with food sustenance. Somewhere along the journey, they discovered that food is not only important for satisfying the most basic hunger needs that we have, but food can actually transform health.

Mantralogix was introduced to Eden Food for Change (Eden Food Bank back then) out of a desire to contribute to Mississauga’s growing situation of families who simply did not have enough to eat. This was (and continues to be) an area of frustration for us, given that many different global reports demonstrate that there is actually enough food supply generated to feed everyone on the planet! But due to inefficiencies and greed, the food simply does not get to those that need it most, with many people on the planet throwing away food because they don’t know what to do with it all. Trust me, we have lots of opinions on food and that’s why part of our business is built around it!

Our team has watched with great pride as this organization has grown from giving out food to those most in need to actually becoming a central hub in our community. From canned goods, Eden grew to providing fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and milk. Then they introduced a teaching kitchen so that anyone in the community could learn how to produce delicious, nutritionally dense meals from fresh ingredients that they may never have heard of/ tried before. They have also become known for their Fresh Produce Boxes where for a small fee anyone can pick up a fresh box of fruits and vegetables to take home and enjoy.

Their latest campaign pushes the boundaries yet again – and gets us all thinking outside the can. That’s right – can! Yes it feels great to pick out food, drop it off, and get the satisfaction of knowing you have contributed 10 cans of soup, or 20 pounds of food. But given the purchasing power of Eden and the knowledge they have of where to source food, they can help 4-5 times the number of people when we simply give money. With their knowledge of what food is needed most, they can also plan purchases accordingly especially when it comes to fresh produce. Giving money may not “feel” as good to us, but it is definitely more effective. And more effective means more people are fed and educated about how food has the power to heal! Bravo Eden Food for Change!

Help us to help Eden Food for Change! http://www.thinkoutsidethecan.org/