Here's a scary fact: "For the first time in 1,000 years, life expectancy is expected to decline... the children of this generation may not live as long as their parents" (New England Journal of Medicine).
This bothers islander Lisa Marie Bhattacharya, who is a holistic nutritionist. And she'd like to be part of the solution. To that end, Lisa Marie and the Bowen Agricultural Alliance (BAA) are hosting a film screening and fundraiser on Saturday, November 10, at Collins Hall from 6 to 9 pm.
The evening includes a screening of the documentary Hungry For Change and a community discussion centred around what can be done and what role youth can play in inspiring change. Tickets are available at the door and cost $15 (per person/family) and kids are encouraged to come with their parents. The price includes soup and homemade bread.
The event is a fundraiser for the new Bowen Island Community School "It's A Wrap" salad bar nutrition program. As part of the successful Farm to School initiative, once a week students will attend a salad bar feast brimming with local produce and create wraps with greens and fresh garden veggies.
The film (http://www.hungryforchange.tv/), from the makers of Food Matters (http://www.foodmatters.tv/), focuses on learning how we can help change our dysfunctional food and health systems from the ground up. It underscores the growing trend of no longer needing to jump through endless hoops to instigate change. The message is: just do it - the rest will come naturally. "Change needs to happen at home first," says Lisa Marie. "And the Bowen community is poised to find its way to better health, with youth at the front of the line. After all, it's their future at stakeand they hold tremendous power."
