An Exciting Update from the NRC

July 5, 2018

A message from Karen Gough, Manager of the Nutrition Resource Centre

I wanted to follow up on my earlier message to you about the Ontario Public Health Association’s (OPHA) Nutrition Resource Centre changing over to a new model with new partners.  As we move forward, we have an exciting update to share with you.

I’m delighted to inform you that we have secured a multi-year partnership with The Helderleigh Foundation to advance healthy eating and food literacy.

As previously mentioned, OPHA is winding down the Nutrition Resource Centre and its ministry-funded activities and is changing over to a new entity.  With the support of our new partner, The Helderleigh Foundation, this new entity will aim to be most widely known, highly valued and trustworthy source for nutrition knowledge and stakeholder exchange in Ontario.  Our plans call for new branding, messaging and additional services for our centre with a targeted launch date of late fall.  During this transition, we will continue to provide you with some of the same valued services and resources you have come to rely on as well as new ones that are in the works.

Our new partners, Susan and Llewellyn Smith, the founders of the Helderleigh Foundation, have said they view this Partnership as “a unique opportunity to advance The Helderleigh Foundation’s goal to become the champion, connector and supporter of food literacy knowledge, policy and practice.  This Partnership enables the good work of over 6,000 stakeholders to be supported with additional resources that:

• will increase the size of the network of health intermediaries advancing public policy related to healthy eating and food literacy;
• provide a knowledge hub, where nutrition and food literacy data can be turned into actionable resources and interventions; and
• address the food literacy gaps and opportunities within the children and younger families’ segments.”

You can find out more about this innovative foundation by visiting: www.thehelderleighfoundation.org.

As OPHA’s President Karen Ellis-Scharfenberg noted, “We’re delighted to be entering into this partnership with the Helderleigh Foundation to achieve our shared vision of creating a generation of children who are food literate and practice healthy and sustainable eating habits. The Helderleigh Foundation’s support will allow us to provide a greater array of services and more robust tools that can help stakeholders in their own practices to be even better at what they do.”

Our new centre will serve as the go to place for health and other professionals and communities to come together and find out about the latest tools, training, trends, research and policies that can help people make the healthy choice the easy choice.  We look forward to telling you more as our plans unfold. So stay tuned! In the interim, feel free to send us your suggestions and feedback at kgough@opha.on.ca.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement.

Sincerely,
Karen Gough
Manager, Nutrition Resource Centre
kgough@opha.on.ca
416 367-2023

P.S. Early bird registration is now open for NRC’s 2018 Forum Unpacking Food Literacy! Check out more detail here.