Food Security is HIV & Hep C Care

What is food security?

Food security means having reliable access to food that is safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate. The systems we live in can make food security difficult for many queer and trans youth, especially those of us who are Indigenous, Black, immigrants, and disabled.

Food security & HIV/Hep C

Food insecurity can make treatment and daily care much harder. Meeting our basic needs frees up energy, time, and resources to focus on our health and relationships. When we have steady access to nourishing food, it’s easier to take medication, keep up with appointments, and stay connected to our care networks. That’s why food security is HIV and Hep C care, whatever that care might look like for us.

Food systems

Many of us come from traditional food systems where growing, harvesting, cooking, and eating together are forms of community care. Colonialism and capitalism have disrupted these ways of life through land theft and profit-driven food systems. These changes separate us from the land, our food sources, and each other. That’s why this year, Mycelium started a community garden plot!

Growing together 🌱

This year, Urban Bounty generously donated a garden plot. We’ve been growing potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, collards, kale, herbs, and flowers, and sharing produce each month with queer and trans youth. We’ve also been supported by West Coast Seeds through their amazing seed donations.

Why it matters

Food security is about more than having enough to eat. When we grow food together, we resist the systems that separate us from the land and from one another. We move toward a future where have what we need to care for ourselves and our communities. 

Food security is HIV & Hep C care. Food security is queer and trans care. Food security is community care. 🌾