CANAVUA Brings Food and Community Support to Edmonton

CANAVUA (Canadian Volunteers United in Action) in Edmonton shows what happens when communities give, receive and grow together.

Dicky Dikamba, CANAVUA’s founder and executive director, came to Edmonton from France in 2008. Not long after, he experienced food insecurity himself. That experience showed him the gaps in culturally responsive support, especially for francophone and multicultural communities, and inspired him to act. That commitment grew into CANAVUA, an organization now supporting more than 50,000 community members across the city.

“Equity is the foundation. We must raise our voices and work together to support marginalized communities.”
— Dicky Dikamba, executive director, CANAVUA

CANAVUA’s mobile food truck provides up to 450 meals each week. The mobile refrigerated food market brings fresh food access to underserved neighbourhoods. And their Aging Well program helps seniors stay independent with food delivery, snow removal and housekeeping support. Every program is tailored to meet the needs of the community.

For Dicky, Black History Month is a chance to celebrate leadership, share culture and spotlight the growing number of Black-led organizations driving equity-focused change. Policies and systems, he emphasizes, must reflect and empower this leadership to create lasting impact.

Second Harvest is proud to support organizations like CANAVUA. Through our partnership, surplus food is redirected to nourish families across Edmonton, including an upcoming donation of 24 pallets of potatoes, which Dicky notes the team can turn into so much more than just a side dish.

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