Colchester Food Network Evaluation

The Colchester Food Network (CFN) is a well-established community organization working to improve access to healthy food and build food skills across Colchester County. In 2024, CFN became one of Nova Scotia’s designated Collaborative Food Networks (CFNs), strengthening its commitment to dignity-based food access, inclusive community partnerships, and holistic, culturally responsive programming. With support from the provincial CFN program, CFN delivers a broad range of food-related activities—including a Client Choice Market, youth and adult cooking programs, meal kit distribution, community-led food pantries, and collaborative initiatives with schools, Indigenous communities, and local service organizations. Signature programs such as Kids’ Kitchen Adventures, Cooking on a Shoestring Budget, and Cooking with G-Ma and Friends reflect CFN’s values of accessibility, respect, and inclusion.
To ensure these programs are meeting local needs and to support learning and accountability, CFN will carry out a structured evaluation of its 2025–2026 programming. This evaluation will assess the reach, effectiveness, and community impact of CFN activities delivered between April 2025 and March 2026, while also fulfilling provincial requirements for annual reporting.
A research intern will be placed with CFN to support the design and implementation of a practical monitoring and evaluation system. This will include the development of tools such as participant tracking templates, post-program feedback forms, and interview or focus group guides for gathering community insights. The intern will help collect both quantitative data (e.g., number of participants, food distributed, pantry usage) and qualitative stories that capture the lived experience of program users, volunteers, and partners.
The evaluation will pay special attention to equity and inclusion, exploring how CFN’s programming reaches and supports groups facing higher food insecurity. Insights will be used to identify what’s working well, where improvements can be made, and how CFN can continue to respond to community priorities.

Faculty Supervisor:

Maya Giorbelidze

Student:

Partner:

Colchester Food Network

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Cape Breton University

Program: