College of the Rockies has partnered with the Community Connections Society of Southeast BC (CCS) to launch a pilot project that provides fresh, nutritious meals to Cranbrook’s unhoused population.

The initiative supports both food security and student learning through a meaningful Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity.

The college offers WIL and other experiential learning to connect its diverse student population with industry and build valuable personal and employability skills.

College Pre-Education student Katelin Conarroe worked with CCS to develop a strategy to use fresh produce from CCS’s Urban Farm, supplemented with nutritionally dense food from their Food Recovery program, to create individually packaged fresh salads.

Each week Conarroe — assisted by partners at Public Health Outreach and the RCMP — delivers 30 freshly prepared salads to several locations throughout Cranbrook.

“It is really fulfilling to know the contribution we are making to the health and wellbeing of some of the more vulnerable citizens in Cranbrook and to know that they will get at least one nutritious fresh meal every week,” Conarroe said. “I personally create and deliver each salad with the support of the amazing team at CCS, and I immediately see the results from the gratitude I get in return.”

“This is an exciting project for the college to be involved in and a valuable WIL opportunity for Katelin,” said Dr. Paul Tiege, Manager of Applied Research and Innovation. “This project is possible, in part, due to funding from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior.”

Conarroe’s pilot program is part of a larger agreement between CCS and the college to develop new student WIL opportunities. The partnership will see college students benefit from exposure to the operations of a complex and multi-faceted social enterprise organization (CCS’s Urban Farm) and will actively participate in all aspects of farm operations, including harvesting, tracking, recording, and delivery, while working with experienced college researchers, Dr. Paul Tiege and Sophie Larsen, to develop key operational outcomes for advancing food security in the region.

In year one, Urban Farm will donate over $11,000 worth of produce to food support organizations currently part of the food recovery distribution network, including schools, the Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Street Angels as well as newer projects like the salad pilot.

“At Cranbrook Urban Farm, we’re not just growing food—we’re growing equity and supporting a more sustainable food system,” said Sophie Larsen, COO of good food programs, Community Connections Society of SE BC. “As a social enterprise, we’re committed to making fresh, healthy produce accessible to everyone. This collaboration helps us get our lettuce to those who need it. It’s about nourishing people and strengthening our community.”

To learn more about work integrated learning at College of the Rockies, visit cotr.bc.ca/wil and about Community Connections Society of Southeast BC at ccscranbrook.ca

 Lead image: Fresh salads with ingredients from Cranbrook Urban Farm are prepared and distributed around the Cranbrook area by College of the Rockies student Katelin Conarroe.

College of the Rockies

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