Meet 10C Changemaker: Yasi
In 2021, Yasi Zorlutuna founded Community FEWD (Food Equity with Dignity) in order to address the gap that exists at the intersection of surplus food and food security programming.
As a program of the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, Yasi launched Community FEWD to support working poor and folks on fixed incomes. These populations cannot afford to simply order take-out whenever they need some convenience. Yasi offers an equitable, dignified option for all community members, providing the kind of nourishment enjoyed by affluent households and giving clients agency over their food choices at no cost.
Since May 2022, Yasi has been able to reach deep into many of Guelph’s most food insecure neighbourhoods. Additionally she works alongside other local Guelph food security initiatives (such as The SEED, Guelph Food Bank and Your Downtown Friends Guelph) utilizing their food donations that may be unable to be redistributed due to quantity, appearance and storage.
Yasi approaches food preparation with the same methods used at your favourite farm-to-table restaurants and food businesses. FEWD has no fixed menu and draws on the creativity, skills and flexibility of chef led teams, allowing raw ingredients to be quickly transformed into ready-to-eat meals; creating a continuous stream for getting surplus food out of fields, boxes, fridges and freezers, and onto dinner tables.
Yasi is a changemaker because she strongly believes our current food system is built for profit and not for people. FEWD’s goal is to bring delicious and nourishing food to the community level – where everyone has access and food is a service for all. With care as a top priority, Yasi aims to feed and connect communities across Guelph.
FEWD needs your support to keep their incredible program moving forward. They are hosting a fundraiser on Friday May 31 to raise next year’s operating costs of $150,000. The fundraiser will take place at the Art Bar, located on the upper level of 37 Quebec Street. It will also be a celebration of two years of providing food to the community.
