Soy Latinoamerica
Monday May 11th, 2015 with Alejandro Hernandez
Interview with the Carleton Food Collective

http://carletonfoodcollective.ca/volunteer/ Adapted from “G-Spot Statement from 2008 OPIRG report” written by Kelly Fritsch Profit does not make the world valuable. Pre-packaged plastic food does not sustain our bodies or our minds. As we yearn for something nutritious, something sustainable, we are told to shut up and hand over our money. But we stopped. And we stood up. And and we said “No more”. The students at Carleton University are hungry. Rising tuition and rent in Ottawa meant that average food budget took a nosedive. Many students literally live on rice and ketchup for weeks at a time, their energy and concentration faltering, and increasingly must rely on coffee and other stimulants to stave off hunger and keep them going. That’s why the Garden Spot was formed by the Carleton Food Collective, a loose bunch of students looking to serve the need within their community through direct action. The Garden Spot is a revolutionary act of defiance started in December of 2001, to provide meal alternatives to the South Ottawa community. Inspired by the People’s Potato at Concordia University, Montreal, volunteers have served over 12000 multi-course vegan meals. The G-Spot serves nutritious vegan meals (currently about once or twice per week) using a “pay-what-you-can” system enabling eaters from all social backgrounds to each pay what they are able to. Volunteers meet up to prepare lunch in the morning in an off-campus cooking space and then haul the food to school. Food is obtained mainly through donations from a handful of stores in Ottawa. The Collective tries to use as much locally sourced and organic produce as possible. Striving for as little waste as possible, the G-Spot asks all eaters to bring their own reusable food containers and only provides biodegradable plastic containers. The G-Spot today (2015) follows this tradition and is seeking to increase its number of weekly servings.