Vancouverites grappling with access to low- or no-cost food and food education now have a powerful new online tool.
The Vancouver Food Asset Map plots out where people in need can find places where they can "grow, prepare, share, buy, receive or learn about food," according to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
Included on the map are places where community members can access free or subsidized groceries, low or no-cost meals, community organizations, food-producing gardens, schools, farmers markets, and more.
Not just limited to places that provide food to those in need, the map also provides users a chance to discover where they can tap into opportunities to learn about food or grow their own.
Written instructions are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese, and a glossary of terms explains all the plotted elements.
The plan is to keep the map regularly updated, and anyone can offer suggestions for places to include on the map.