The folks at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House — like people at many Mount Pleasant Community Organizations — are constantly using food as way to break down barriers between people and help create lasting community connections.

In a recent blog post, MPNH talked about the enormous impact their food-related programs have had on participants. Here’s a short excerpt from their story:

Like many new immigrants, Aya found the process of adjusting to her new life in Vancouver difficult and lonely.

That is, until she found her way to the Cooking Club program at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (MPNH). Through participation in these peer-run cooking workshops, Aya found a new way to engage with her community, make new friends, and lift herself out of her isolation.

Aya is not the only person in Vancouver who has struggled with loneliness. According to the Vancouver Foundation, one third of people in our city find it difficult to make friends. Off people living in our country for 5 years or less, 42% count 3 people or fewer in their network of close friends. That’s why MPNH programs like the Multicultural Cooking Club are such an important part of fostering social networks, relieving isolation, and supporting the mental wellbeing of those who call this city home.

Click here to read the whole story.