jumping in: your food bank as a community change agent closing the hunger gap conference presented...
TRANSCRIPT
Jumping in:Your Food Bank as a Community Change Agent
Closing the Hunger Gap Conference
Presented by:Keith Carr, City Harvest Susan Fowler, City Harvest Kathy Kim, City HarvestEna McPherson, Tranquility FarmsBill Sherman, Staten Island Neighborhood Food Initiative
• Founded in 1982 as the world’s first food rescue organization, City Harvest is dedicated to helping feed the nearly 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger
• City Harvest exists to end hunger in communities throughout New York City. We do this through food rescue and distribution, education, and other practical, innovative solutions, such as our Healthy Neighborhoods program
What is City Harvest?
• Bring together residents, local business owners, religious organizations, and institutions
• Mobilize the community via resident-led action groups, called Community Action Networks (CAN)
• CANs develop a vision for a healthy community and implement projects to achieve that vision
Our community engagement strategy
But…Overweight/Obese: 68.7%Poverty: 21.4%
Over 30 community gardens and farms
Manhattan
Bronx
Queens
Brooklyn
Staten Island
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn:
a neighborhood of contrasts
Health and weight indicators: Community Health Survey, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2009. Poverty rates: 2011: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey, One-year Estimates: Table C17001
Bed Stuy community gardens
Bed Stuy community gardens
Bed Stuy community gardens
• Group of 35 residents and representatives from organizations committed to improving the food landscape of Bed Stuy
Bed Stuy Community Action Network
Bed Stuy garden tour:connecting gardeners in the community
Bed Stuy garden tour:connecting gardeners in the community
• Support urban growing efforts • Demonstrate the benefits of urban
growing to community members
Subcommittee of community farmers and gardeners
Flashpoint 1: exposé on soil toxicity in NYC community gardens targets Bed Stuy
• Bed Stuy farmers/gardeners pledge to maintain high standards for soil quality and transparency
• Developed soil toxicity rating system, to be posted at gardens
• Media exposure through open letters and op-eds
Subcommittee response
Flashpoint 2: Bed Stuy gardens targeted by mayor for potential housing development
11 Brooklyn gardens(6 in Bed Stuy)
5 Manhattan gardens
1 Queens garden
Image: 596 Acres Website (http://596acres.org/en/)
• Letter writing campaign and petition to city officials
• Member-generated media exposure
Subcommittee response: stop development plans
• Engaged NYC Food Policy Director and elected officials who put pressure on developers
• Potential development plans put on hold
Subcommittee’s campaign delivered results
• City Council and CAN Member Robert Cornegy featured this issue in his first State of the District Address
• Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver visited Tranquility Farms
Subcommittee’s campaign engaged high-level officials
Manhattan
Bronx
Queens
Brooklyn
Staten Island
North Shore of Staten IslandOverweight/Obese: 64.3%Poverty: 21%
Health and weight indicators: Community Health Survey, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2009. Poverty rates: 2011: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey, One-year Estimates: Table C17001
Staten Island: the neglected borough
Closer look at a “food desert”…
My Plate Challenge: a neighborhood-focused health promotion strategy
• 2 challenges, 13 competitors from 5 countries
• Over 200 people participated—competitors, judges, nutritionists, mentors, and the general community
• Participants expressed interest in eating healthier following competition
My Plate Challenge results
• Build on past success with My Plate Challenges focusing next on Sri Lankan and Italian cuisine
• Explore possibility of growing African and Mexican vegetables in existing community gardens and urban farms
• Introduce backyard gardeners to their local food pantries and soup kitchens so that they know where to donate surpluses
•
Next steps
So, what made this work possible?
• Community Food Assessments revealed interest in changing the food landscape
• City Harvest established relationships and built trust with key members in the community
• Programmatic evolution at City Harvest made resources available
Why would food banks and food rescue organizations advocate for improving the food system? • Act as major anchors in the food
system • Distribute large volumes of food • Bring together robust network of
businesses and community programs • Responsible for creating impactful,
structural change
• Brand recognition and credibility• Experience• Scale• Stability• Volunteers• Established trust and track record• Demonstrated impact
Resources City Harvest brings
2003-2007Produce for Health
2007First
Community Food
Assessment
2010First
Community Engagement
Staff
2011Healthy
Neighborhoods Strategic Plan
2012First
Community Action Groups
City Harvest evolution: from food rescue to Healthy Neighborhoods to community engagement
Focus on produce and community health
Integrate relief and development where it’s needed most
Increased Access (produce
distribution & retail work)
Nutrition Education (demos, courses, tours)
Community
Engagement
Healthy Neighborhoods
• Assess programming with staff and board
• Identify most vulnerable communities
• Conduct community food assessment• Canvas community opinion on needs• Develop plan of action in partnership
with community• Focus on realistic, on-the-ground
projects
Steps for engaging your community
• Is your food bank/food rescue organization on the path to becoming a food change agent?
• What kind of community activities can your food bank or food rescue group do now?
• Who are potential allies in your community?
• Name 1-2 things you think your community can achieve in the next 6 months
Table discussion (10 minutes)