Celiac disease is a lifelong condition affecting as many as 1 in 200 people in North America. Yet, many remain undiagnosed, as many as three hundred thousand Canadians. (Canada.ca).

For the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA), it’s a stark reality they are trying to overcome. As a non-profit charity, they support people with celiac disease. They advocate on their behalf, and help people adjust to live a healthy life with it. 

What do you know about the CCA?

Founded forty-seven years ago, the Canadian Celiac Association still goes strong today.  It’s arguable that as more media cover the stories of people with celiac disease, more Canadians will turn to organizations like the CCA for resources.

But, did you know they also:

• Funded research at the University of Calgary
• Donated to the JA Campbell Research fund

In addition to their research interests, the CCA continues to advocate for people suffering from celiac disease to this day. People raise awareness about celiac disease every May across Canada. In other words, May is Celiac Awareness Month, a crucial time for the organization to increase transparency about the disease and people who live with it.

So what do you know about celiac disease and gluten intolerance?

From the CCA’s website, it says that Celiac Disease (CD) is a common disorder. It affects about 1% of the Canadian Population, but at least 80% of those individuals don’t know they have the disorder.

The symptoms are often digestive ones. For example, those with Celiac Disease can’t process a substance called gluten. Gluten, a group of protein present in wheat, rye, and barley, damage the body’s small intestines. This leads to a variety of symptoms. In the end, CD sufferers cannot absorb nutrients such as protein, fat, and vitamins, which are the foundation for good health.

Go Beyond the Gut: 2018 Campaign

Back in 2018, when we at Canadian Mattress Recycling first blogged about the CCA, their campaign formed around the hashtag #gobeyondthegut.

In their campaign, the Canadian Celiac Association raised awareness about the people suffering from the disease. They too also shared the less obvious symptoms. When Canadians tuned into their campaign, it made people more aware about how it may affect themselves and their loved ones.  The campaign also featured people and their stories. These encouraging posts on social media helped reduce the stigma those suffering from it.

What’s in store for 2019?

Follow the Canadian Celiac Association on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with the latest campaigns and events. Also take a look at the Vancouver Chapter of the CCA, for local opportunities to support those living with celiac disease.

Canadian Mattress Recycling Inc. is a proud supporter of community organizations. We truly believe in supporting the communities that support us, especially the ones working to improve Canadian’s health and foster community engagement. Read about the other organizations we have supported in the past. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more.

If you’re a Burnaby Resident – you may have heard about Burnaby Food First, or not. Regardless, we at Canadian Mattress Recycling think the organization is truly impressive – one that we should blog about! 

What is Burnaby Food First?

Working together with local agencies and community members, Burnaby Food First is ‘bringing food security to Burnaby’. (Website).

Food security is important for all residents, but there are not a lot of groups advocating for it at the community level. Enter Burnaby Food First – making sure that everyone in Burnaby has access to fresh, healthy food.

In addition to making sure residents have access to fresh food, the organization provides resources for residents to prepare healthy meals using fresh food, and ensures that people can find locally grown food is available.

What does Burnaby Food First do?

Workshops are a fantastic way to bring passionate individuals together. That’s why Burnaby Food First hosts a variety of workshops and community initiatives to get people more involved in their local food system.

Educational Workshops

Once a month, they host workshops teaching people about healthy eating, showing them how to do it. They also host workshops on a variety of food security related topics include food waste, canning/fermenting basics, and community gardening.

Sharing Backyards

One of the organization’s other programs is helping Burnaby residents share their backyards for growing food. At the community level, not every resident have access to a backyard to grow food. Therefore, Burnaby Food First helps link up residents with backyards and those that don’t have them, in order to create community gardens!  We think that this is an ingenious way to utilize unused spaces, and incorporate private properties into a local food system.

Why are local food systems important?

You may be wondering – why are local food systems important? Well, for starters, local food systems are more sustainable! Local food systems mean that food are grown, sold, and eaten within the community. Instead of relying of food grown outside of the community, which needs to be shipped in, and then sold and distributed locally, locally grown food eliminates a lot of unnecessary waste. Also, it reduces the reliance on cheap fuel.

Here are other reasons why we should consider local food systems:

• They foster a tighter community
• Many crops can be grown here at home
• We can reduce food waste by planting only what we need
• We gain respect for the environment and nature

Do you have a local food system where you live?

It’s the sad truth that not many cities have organizations such as Burnaby Food First. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Many Metro Vancouver communities have developing local food systems because the benefits outweigh the negatives. From community gardens to cooking workshops hosted at neighbourhood houses, your city will have some ways to get involved with your local food system

As for Burnaby Residents, we are delighted to help share the work they do, so that they can continue to support food security in Burnaby!

Canadian Mattress Recycling Inc. is a proud supporter of community organizations. We truly believe in supporting the communities that support us, especially the ones working to improve local food systems, preserve the environment, and foster community engagement. Read about the other organizations we have supported in the past. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more.