Lynn Vivian-Book is the current Past-President of the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Health Association (NLPHA). “The way we advocate is through partnerships. We would not be in the position we are without Food First NL.”

The NLPHA is an independent non-profit provincial advocacy group composed of health professionals, community members, and affiliated organizations who promote and support public health. Over the years, the NLPHA has addressed many public health issues, from bicycle helmets to breastfeeding.

“One of our issues, which goes way back to 1998, is food security,” says Lynn. For Lynn, food security efforts would not be possible without organizations like Food First NL. “We are all volunteers,” she says. “You need to have that hub organization with some resources to bring people together.”

In 2015, Food First NL and NLPHA partnered to develop a provincial roadmap for the future of food security in Newfoundland, and that first meeting put the gears in motion for what has grown into the Everybody Eats project. Everybody Eats continues to convene 20+ partners across all sectors to build a vibrant food system in which people and place flourish.

As Food First NL moves from first 20 years and into its next 20, Lynn feels that things are different now than they have ever been. “Today, I feel there is an alignment to move this issue forward,” says Lynn. “To do that, you need the political will, solid evidence, and a strong voice that galvanizes people. Right now, I think we have all three.”

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