Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform - Let's take Action!

In January & February Food Justice Network advocates, youth food justice interns, parents and nonprofit leaders showed up to express their support for the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform. Congratulations! We heard emphasis on: Food as a human right, a desire for fresher school meals, a challenge to center food equity in school nutrition departments and take away the burden of functioning like a business, support for the intersection of food equity and affordable housing, an interest in a cooperative grocery owned by community members of color and more! 

At this month's large group Food Justice Network meeting we will be digging into each of the policy platform areas and exploring ways to build power and energy around action. Join us!

 Food Justice Network Meeting March 24, 2021    

Wednesday, March 24 10:30am -12:30pm on Zoom

Please mark your attendance for the bi-monthly meeting where we will discuss collective action for the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform and how your engagement has impacted the City's Comprehensive Planning process.

Gratitude to Shantell Bingham by Tamara Wright

Shantell Bingham! Everything she has done for this city as a whole is amazing. By making connections to the history of inequities and sharing stories of that impact, she was able to ignite interest and passion to see food as a human right. She inspired people to really care about it, even at the city level with the launch of the Food Equity Initiative. 

Shantell is like the little sister and the big sister all rolled up into one. No matter what room she walks into, she is the brightest light. 

I feel honored and terrified at the same time trying to carry on that legacy. For Shantell to place the Food Justice Network in our hands, shows how much she trusts me and how much she trusts us an organization and partners in the network. I hope that I can do an amazing job of keeping her mission and vision alive. We are so sad to see her go but know that it is a blessing to have a wonderful team of people who together will refuse the let the ball drop on food justice! We will definitely continue on!

Thank you Shantell! 

The Food Justice Network Team toasts Shantell! [Below clockwise: Gabby Levet FJN Associate, Tamara Wright Community Advocate Lead, Shantell Bingham, Daisy Mosqueda, Equity & Environmental Fellow]

The Comprehensive Plan process is heading into a new phase of community engagement and draft revisions, opening up opportunities to provide your insights and perspectives on the Comp Plan's many components. These aspects include the specific Plan Chapters, Guiding Principles and Vision Statements, and Future Land Use Map. During the FJN Large Group meeting, the Food Justice Network will be sharing food equity recommendations for this phase of the Comprehensive Plan process. We will include ways for organizations and community members to elevate food equity priorities. 

For folks interested in amplifying food equity priorities in the Comp Plan, stay tuned for the release of FJN's 2021 Comprehensive Plan Recommendations and check out the Cville Plans Together website with more details.  

Spotlighting Ways to Engage & Learn!

With spring right around the corner, it's a great time to engage and learn. Below are opportunities partners are hosting to do just that!

Food Justice Network launched the Text Messaging service to help navigate emergency food resources. This month we will be distributing flyers and magnets to spread the word as broadly as possible. Please share this information and encourage community members to sign on. Contact Gabby if you'd like some flyers or magnets to distribute. 

Networks like Food Justice Network of Cultivate Charlottesville would not exist without the partnerships of powerful organizations, the support of dedicated volunteers, and the generous funding from foundations and donors. We owe a huge thank you to the USDA Community Food Projects Program, the City Council of Charlottesville, the Hartfield Foundation, the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and more.

Thank you!

If you'd like to support the important work of Cultivate Charlottesville's Food Justice Network and fund the movement, please donate.

At Cultivate Charlottesville we believe that working together to grow gardens, share food and power, and advocate for just systems cultivates a healthy community for all.