Social Planning
Social planning is a process that supports community development. It involves community members, government, businesses, and associations working together to address social issues and build healthy communities. Social planning is place-based and community-level work that means different things in different places.
At CDC Quinte, our social planning work aims to increase understanding (research), facilitate connections and collaboration (outreach), and heighten awareness (education & advocacy).
We believe that abundant access to nourishing food is essential for building a healthy and thriving community.
We also believe that food is a common thread that binds us. Our dedication to community development is then through a Food First approach.
Our goal is to improve access to community food, while also using food to unite and build community.
With this in mind let us introduce the
Belleville Abundance Project
The Belleville Abundance Project is a multi-year community building project that will use asset-based community development tools to discover the many gifts of Belleville and its residents. It was launched at our CDC-Quinte open House on September 19, 2023.
The primary goal of this project is to improve access to healthy and local food, however, we hope to reach many other goals along the way. Some of these include building and strengthening community relationships; creating new connections and interconnections; discovering hidden gifts, skills, knowledge and passions of residents; and shedding light on the abundance of assets and opportunities in our own backyard.
The Belleville Abundance Project intends to offer a collective mission by which to bring the community together. While the immediate tangible goal is to improve access to healthy and local food, this project is intended to inspire and support the development of a culture of trust, cooperation, hope and empowerment.
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Yes!
Throughout 2024, CDC Quinte and our "Abundance Ambassadors" will be getting to know the community - meeting with businesses, organizations, and residents - and mapping our local gifts and assets.
In 2025, we will share all that we learned with the community, and together, start mapping out a plan for action.
How can we use the gifts and assets that Belleville already has to create lasting solutions that improve access to healthy and local food?
When we work together, the possibilities are endless.
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First we need data!
Please fill in this survey if you are a resident or this one if you are a Business/organization
Another way to get involved is volunteering!
An Abundance Ambassador will act as a community leader on this project - liaising with businesses, organizations, and residents, to develop relationships and share information. This is a volunteer role that utilizes strong communication skills.
An Abundance Ambassador can be a seasoned community leader or a new community enthusiast. You must be passionate about people and your community, and a passion for food (growing, cooking, distributing/access, etc.) would be beneficial. You must be reliable and have 2-3 hours that you can commit to volunteering on a weekly basis.
If you are interested please email volunteer@cdcquinte.com
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This project is based on the following principles:
Food is an essential need and a human right.
Our need for healthy food is a common thread that binds us.
Our community is abundant with assets and opportunities.
Every person has inherent value and the ability to contribute worth.
We are hopeful that this project will foster a culture of trust, hope, empowerment, and collaboration within the community, eventually leading to the development of a self-supporting food abundant Belleville.
With the support of CDC Quinte, Loyalist College, and the City of Belleville, this project will be driven by community members and will evolve with a community vision.