T he Lakeshore Village Neighbourhood Association is very grass roots, made up of people working together to respond to needs and interests of their neighbours. The community has 865 affordable housing units. Activities change and develop according to what works and is wanted, and are seldom the same from year to year. It is critical to have volunteers to carry out the new projects. With no money for rent there is no longer office space but room has been found for a filing cabinet in one building, storage space for equipment in another.
Funding comes in little bits here and there.
A Trillium grant a few years ago helped buy equipment and start two Community Kitchens. This year a one-year action grant from United Way has enabled Cooking Together to carry on three Community Kitchens. A new project in the works is to make available a Community Kitchen kit that is transportable. This mobile kit could enable other groups to pilot their own Community Kitchen workshops. Public funds such as Trillium and United Way grants are well spent helping small local groups to carry out their ideas.