Longtime Guelph Food Bank administrator Pauline Cripps is moving on after 8.5 years, accepting a job with the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph.
Cripps’ new role is a two-year contract as the community food lead, a role came out of, in part, the ending of the Our Food Future project and the Nutritious Foods Workstream. Part of the role is to continue the work those programs started.
“When I saw the advertisement for the role, it just seemed like a no-brainer for me,” she said. It combined some of her favourite parts of her role with the GFB while placing her in a position to work towards food security on behalf of all food access groups in Guelph and Wellington County.
“It just seemed like a really great natural transition for me,” she said. “My goal and intent is really to support food access initiatives and emergency food security, and as a whole throughout the city (and) county, keep building on all the amazing work that has been done.”’
That includes looking at the area’s current food access network and looking for opportunities to grow the collaboration between organization and secure additional funding for them, she said.
She’s also planning on focusing on supports for students and the County of Wellington, “because often rural areas are slightly overlooked.”
Reflecting on her time with the Guelph Food Bank, Cripps said the 8.5 years served as a learning experience and prepared her well for her new role.
“That was pretty much my first gig out of college, and I hit the ground running, working for a charity – especially a food access one. But I’m really thankful for the experience because of the number of different things I got to learn, the different people I got to meet. I don’t think I would know anything about food systems and food security if not for that role.”
Her biggest accomplishments and fondest memories from her time at the GFB are one in the same – being involved in and having an impact on the community.
“I just really value … working together and building as many bridges as possible to be able to make this work happen.”
One of her proudest accomplishments was being part of the Community Food Hub development.
“That decentralization process was a very daunting challenge, and I’m proud of how far we were able to take it before my departure, and I know they’ve already made some great strides to continue that work.”
Food bank managing director Carolyn McLeod-McCarthy will be assuming the duties and responsibilities of Cripps’ former position, restructuring the job for others to carry on with community outreach.
“She’s gonna do great,” Cripps said of McLeod-McCarthy. “She is definitely a go-getter, and (has) a lot of great ideas herself. I’m excited to see what she’s able to do and how things progress.”
