Diversity Food Services is a joint venture of the UWCRC and SEED Winnipeg, established to deliver excellent food services to the University of Winnipeg. It is a prime example of UWCRC’s success in achieving all four principles of sustainability in a single development initiative.
Diversity’s commitment to economic sustainability is exhibted through a focus on shared wealth creation. This is acheived by providing high quality jobs for target food service employees, including good wages and benefits, career advancement opportunities, access to training and capacity building, participation in decision-making and opportunities for ownership. More directly, this has included intense training and employment for approximately 43 people from the surrounding low-income neighbourhood, who may have faced barriers to meaningful work.
On-going training initiatives recognize and guide motivated employees along an intentional personal and employment development strategy. This strategy is designed to help Diversity Foods achieve and maintain excellence in food services as well as build employee satisfaction and self-worth.
A future goal is to develop a catering service that supports skill development of the catering staff and meets the needs of the University community.
Another effort to sustain local wealth creation includes a commitment to economic benefits outside the University community. This is displayed through a reliance on local producers and suppliers and engagement of local artisans and vendors that can provide the quantity and quality of culinary products expected by Diversity customers.
Diversity recognizes and celebrates UWinnipeg’s rich cultural mix by providing wholesome, fairly-priced, ethnically diverse, and where possible, locally sourced food options. Diversity operates with a goal to continually provide excellent customer services that enhances the rapport with students through responsiveness to needs and requests.
Diversity Foods has changed the perception of the University foods services from one of the worst in Canada, to one where student perception of healthy food on campus is rated the highest in Western Canada (Globe and Mail Survey).
Purpose
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Provide excellent food services to the students and staff of the University of Winnipeg and the surrounding community by establishing a successful, dynamic social enterprise.
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Offer wholesome, fairly priced, ethnically diverse food options.
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Provide excellent customer services that enhance the rapport with students through responsiveness to needs and requests.
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Establish high quality jobs for target food service employees, including good wages and benefits, career advancement opportunities, access to training and capacity building, participation in decision-making and opportunities for ownership.
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Develop a catering service that supports skill development of the catering staff and meets the needs of the University community.