Stories of Partnership: Central Okanagan Food Bank and UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management

“Stories of Partnership” is a Q&A series by the Community Engagement Network (CEN) that is dedicated to shining a light on examples of reciprocal community-university partnerships. These Q&As are meant to centre the experiences of community partners and foster a culture of continuous learning within community engagement and community engagement practices. 

This episode features a partnership that started almost seven years ago, between the Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB) and UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management. With rising food costs continuing to be a major barrier for people all over BC and growing demand a critical challenge for the organizations that provide vital access to food, food banks like the COFB are turning to supportive partnership with university researchers and students to come up with new innovative approaches in the battle for food security. 

Our guests, Trevor Moss, CEO of the Central Okanagan Food Bank, and Dr. Eric Li and Dhorea Ramanula from UBC’s Faculty of Management, sat down with UBC Okanagan’s Community Engagement Strategist, Angela Han, to talk about how their partnership began and has evolved, and share key practices that have helped them sustain their work over time. They also deeply explore the important role of research for nonprofits, as well as mutual benefits and ripple effects for universities, and speak about how flexibility and frank, proactive communication are a bedrock for healthy, reciprocal partnership. 

This conversation shares unique insights and guidance for anyone who is embarking on a new partnership or looking for ways to improve and sustain their existing relationships with communities or universities.

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