Community resilience through partnership after the Great East Japan Earthquake: cooking classes by Iwate Co-op and a food company.

Introduction: This case study aimed to demonstrate how cooking class activities held in collaboration with the Ajinomoto Foundation (TAF) and a consumer cooperative after the Great East Japan Earthquake contributed to the resilience of the affected community. Methods: With reference to the logic model, evaluation indicators for the case study were established. We focused on the Iwate Seikatsu Kyodo Kumiai (Iwate Co-op). We organized 120 continuation cases out of the eight-and-a-half-year activity records of the project owned by TAF (April 2012 to March 2020). The Iwate Co-op was one of the 120 continuing cases and had special features, including awareness that its members were responsible for the community. Results: The collaboration revealed three effects. First, owing to the encounter and collaboration with TAF, the cooking class was continuously conducted even after TAF withdrew from the disaster-affected areas. Second, the Iwate Co-op trained some of its members as food support staff to run the cooking class independently and was actively involved in obtaining the necessary budget for the operation, consequently leading to the independent activation of member activities. Third, they developed a cooking class project in inland areas other than disaster-stricken areas, assuming that they could incorporate the project into their existing activities, as food problems affected people beyond disaster victims. Conclusion: The collaborative food support project of the Iwate Co-op and TAF contributed to the resilience of the affected people and communities by strengthening bonds and solidarity among residents and organizations. The key to success was the fusion of a traditional sense of independence in the co-op with TAF's mission and technical know-how. The partnership between the Iwate Co-op and TAF allowed the former to aim toward developing food support activities in the affected areas, accelerating the resilience of the community in the Iwate Prefecture.

[A descriptive study on volunteer activities of providing meals during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: clarifying the activities process and a preliminary investigation of the effect of activities on residents].

Objective　Although volunteer activities of providing meals have been conducted as measures to prevent isolation and loneliness and to secure meals, evidence is lacking regarding how to implement such activities. In this study, we describe the activities process at a community cafeteria located within a housing complex and operated by resident volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide inexpensive meals. We also report the preliminary results of the impact of such activities on the residents.Method　This case study was conducted at the community cafeteria Tate Kitchen 'Sakura' located within a Tokyo housing complex with a high ageing population. We collected data on the cafeteria activities during February to May, 2020. The data sources were daily activity records of the cafeteria, dialogues between volunteers and residents, and photos of activities. We qualitatively assessed the effects of the activities on the residents by classifying interviews with ten users and six volunteer staff based on the Kawakita Jiro (KJ) method.Results　During the observation period, regular meetings were held among board members and volunteers, and operations of the cafeteria were verified and modified by referring to the COVID-19 prevention guide for citizens, advice from health professionals, and residents' opinions. It was determined that activities would continue without cessation; the cafeteria, managed mainly by volunteers under the food hygiene control system required for commercial restaurants, was open five days a week to maintain food security and ensure the health of the residents. The number of meals sold at the cafeteria was halved in May (n = 2,149) as a result of the modification in operations. However, the number of meals delivered to each household increased from March because of increased demand. Qualitative analyses using KJ method showed that users perceived that these continued activities were effective in securing food, maintaining social interaction and promoting health, and health promotion, while volunteers perceived that the activities were effective in promoting social interaction and health.Conclusion　The resident volunteers continually confirmed their commitment to the principle of protecting food security and health within the community. They continued to operate the cafeteria by referring to available information on COVID-19 preventive measures, adopting the COVID-19 preventive measures, and involving all stakeholders. Qualitative analyses suggested that these continued efforts were useful for securing food and supporting health of the residents, looking after one other, and maintaining ties among residents.