Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Just Food for USactivities have included three main communities. The Charlottesville City School (CCS) school students. This included around 3,500 youth (2,400 elementary and 500 middle school, 600 high school) from across the city. Of those youth, an average of 57% are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program (with significantly more eligible); the study body make up includes 53% Students of Color (36% black, 11% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Asian), 40% white,7% other; 9% of students are English as a second language and there are 35 home languages in our district; 37% of youth in our school district are classified as overweight or obese-with that number rising to 49% for students of color. The CFP program implemented at CCS has engaged nearly every single elementary school student and around 500 middle school and 600 high school youth. While student participation continues to be limited due to COVID restrictions, we are still hosting weekly programming at each school and in afterschool clubs.We also have continued to work with youth in smaller groups including 10 Youth Food Justice Interns and 85 elementary students (in small groups of 10 or fewer). Residents living in Public and Subsidized Housing and the City of Promise Neighborhoods. Friendship Court is one of the main neighborhoods where residents participate in the Urban Agriculture Collective's weekly Community Markets. Residents can pick up fresh grown produce (from their onsite farm) at no cots. The private subsidized housing development has been under development pressure over the past year and residents are working hard to be included in the conversation to reduce displacement. With 150 families and more than 250 children the average income is $10,800/year (significantly below the Charlottesville average of $54,029) and over 45% of residents indicated they cannot afford the food they need. Within this community, over 107 residents (45 youth and 62 adults) have engaged in urban food production and the community market. Additionally, we have been partnering with Charlottesville's City of Promise neighborhood which includes the Westhaven, Star Hill, and 10th& Page areas of our city and reaches 241 youth. At the launch of the Promise neighborhood in 2011, graduation rates were far below the district average (ranging from 25%-65%) and 100% of residents were near or below the poverty line with 60% unemployment. ForJust Food for US,all families in the neighborhood had the benefit of utilizing and spending time in the garden. This year there have been over 50youth actively engaged in the care and growing of the garden. The graduation rate for students increased to 95% this year! The Food Justice Network & City Departmental Partners Over the second year of this project, the Food Justice Network has established mechanisms for community voice through both formal and informal meetings with oversight by community stakeholders and community members on programs and broader food access issues. We have brought together over 35 organizations and twelve City departments to implement the Food Equity Initiative. The Network has hosted 25 meetings and engaged over 187 advocates in the City's Comprehensive plan, 25 advocates in the City's Strategic Plan, 38members in the planning team, and 1,812 community members. Of the twelve City departments with whom we are working, all twelve have established clear food equity goals and 27 of the 32 recommendations for these departments have been implemented to date. Changes/Problems:We did not have any major changes and are pleased to report progress on each of our six core activities. I. Update on Just Food for US Activities A. Resident Leadership through Community Advocate Program The Community Advocates Program has been designed to cultivate power and agency among non-traditional leaders in the Charlottesville community to build a more just and equitable food system. This leadership training introduces residents to our city's governing structure, key organizational representatives, and institutional leaders, as well as best practices for engaging across differences. In the final year of this proposal, we grew the Community Advocates program to include young adults who have come up through the Cultivate leadership initiatives and are looking to navigate post-high school education and career options. Several former students have reached out indicating they are struggling and wanted to work with Cultivate again. This initiative, Food Justice Apprentices, have paid positions working as part the Community Advocates to advance efforts towards increased urban agriculture for Charlottesville BIPOC community. We have also been able to hire a new Community Advocate Lead, Michele Gibson, who was a former advocate in 2021, and a Cultivate Community Engagement Program Director, Christopher Simms. These combined efforts provide an exciting step for providing professional training and further leadership support to key young adults in our area. B. Cultivating Food Justice with Youth Leadership Interns Youth Food Justice Intern program hired our largest cohort to date with 11 summer interns in 2022 for an intensive program working in over a dozen urban farms throughout the city and engaging in learning about food equity. Students also provided strategy for the public schools Healthy Schools Five Year Initiative and presented the initiative goals to the School Board including feedback from over 200 of their peers. The Healthy Schools Initiative designed by students was adopted and has been funded for five years from our local community foundation and the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth program. Students worked with the Charlottesville City School Nutrition Director and taste tested 12 additional recipes this year. All 12 recipes have been folded into the regular cafeteria menu with over 50 offerings each month. Additionally, two halal meal options have been added. Again this year, we have extended the food justice intern initiative to during the academic year and the interns have been engaged in seven community events where they advocate for food equity. C. Charlottesville Food Justice Network - Trainings, Planning & Project Implementation As noted above, the Food Justice Network has established mechanisms for community voice through both formal and informal meetings with oversight by community stakeholders and community members on programs and broader food access issues. We have brought together over 35 organizations and twelve City departments to implement the Food Equity Initiative. In 2022 the Network hosted 23 gatherings and engaged over 187 advocates in the City's Comprehensive plan, 25 advocates in the City's Strategic Plan, 38 members in the planning team, 47 residents in the Climate Action Plan, and 1,817 community members in Network gatherings. Of the twelve City departments with whom we are working, ten have established clear food equity goals and 27 of the 32 recommendations for these departments have been implemented to date. We also had 65 of our recommendations for the City's Comprehensive Plan included in the final version, including a chapter on Climate, Food Equity, and Urban Agriculture. The Food Equity Policy Platform launched in 2021 was again a tool for defining food justice policy across the city. The Platform includes community recommendations to the City in six core areas (included with publications). The Policy Platform had robust community engagement with 284 signatories, and we hosted A Seat At The Table community roundtable with 93 participants to deepen understanding of the FEI Policy Platform and gather community feedback. In 2022 we focused on The Power to Grow plank of the platform which encourages additional city supports for urban agriculture, specifically in BIPOC neighborhoods. This work will continue in 2023 with a planned request to City Council. D. Urban Farm Production and Community Workdays & Markets Urban Agriculture Collective in partnership with neighborhood residents cared for three UACC farm sites growing 24 vegetable and 11 fruit crops. Seeds were started in passive/solar greenhouse to extend season from March-November. Collaborating with City Schoolyard Garden youth we also grew and distributed (with safe social distancing) over 7,000 seedlings for families to plant in their home gardens. Over this year, we hosted 24 community market days distributing around 11,000 pounds of produce. The community markets reached 350 families with our community grown produce at no cost. E. Fresh Farmacy & Harvest of the Month: Garden to Classroom Healthy Snack Program C The Harvest of the Month program continued to be active this final year of the CFP project. In FY22 we hosted eight Harvest of the Month crops for 2,750 students/month. The crops included green peppers, peaches, cherry tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, salad greens, snow peas, and other locally sourced fresh foods. Fresh Farmacy shifted their model during COVID to provide more fresh food bags to additional families. Fresh Farmacy expanded to an average of 500 homes weekly with over 15,000 deliveries during this period. We worked with a local cab company to do the home deliveries and supported local farmers with the purchase of $252,000 of produce, eggs and value-added items. The Fresh Farmacy program is run by our CFP partner organization, Local Food Hub. Another partner organization, PB&J Fund decided to close their doors at the end of FY22. After a robust strategic planning process that included hundreds of community members, PB&J transitioned their kitchen operations to New Hill Development Corp. New Hill is focused on investing resources in the Black Charlottesville community previously known as Vinegar Hill which was razed in the 1960's to make way for downtown development, much of which excluded Black residents. This innovative partnership will invest in micro-enterprise businesses focus on food equity. F. RootEd Capacity Building & Cultivating Equity in Leaders of Tomorrow Based on CSG's RootEd model for garden-based learning, our Garden Coordinators were able to ramp up their student engagement again this year and active in every one of Charlottesville City's nine public schools hosted around 16,000 youth garden engagements.? What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Just Food for US team participated and led numerous trainings and professional develop opportunities over the past year, including: · Transformational Leadership- Cultivate's Co-Executive Directors, Jeanette Abi-Nader and Richard Morris, presented 7 times on Cultivate's transformational leadership model which includes shared leadership across the organization. · Student Voice & Choice - Cultivate's City Schoolyard Garden Program Director, Jordan Johnson, and Farm to School Coordinator, Shamera Banks, presented 3 times on our five year healthy school meals plan. This included a state wide presentation at the Virginia Farm to School Conference. · 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Builder - Twelve Charlottesville Board and staff participated in New England Solutions 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Builder and we hosted a learning group which met five times over the course of the program. We are also part of the following Regional and National Initiatives: · HEAL Food Alliance - Core member and part of the Steering Committee · National Farm to School Network Racial Equity in Evaluation Advisory Committee · Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins - Food Policy Council Racial Equity Cohort · Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Advisory Board How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Cultivate Charlottesville has hosted six meetings this fiscal year to update community members on the work of the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform as well as other the City Comprehensive Planning process. Typically around 25 organizations attend these meetings and it is a key opportunity to exchange ideas, engage community, glean input and refine our practices. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplished under Goals - What was accomplished under these goals? Goal #1: Leverage cross-sectorial community efforts to increase equitable food justice policies and practices for community impact and healing in Charlottesville. a. Increased prevalence of community-based practitioners with knowledge and capacity to effectively address food related health disparities across race and class. 11 Youth Food Justice Interns employed for a total of 1,960 hours and activated with new skills and income. Food Justice Network hosted 23 gatherings and engaged over 187 advocates in the City's Comprehensive plan, 25 advocates in the City's Strategic Plan, 38 members in the planning team, 47 residents in the Climate Action Plan, and 1,817 community members in Network gatherings b. Increased food equity policies and practices in city, public, and nonprofit institutions that affect systems change. 12 city departments adopt food equity goals that strengthen city-wide food security; 65 food equity recommendations adopted in the final Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan; 27 of 32 City Department food equity actions implemented (to date); Charlottesville City Schools implemented steps in the Healthy Schools Initiative with 5-year plan; Obtained 2 additional funding sources for the Charlottesville City School Healthy Schools 5 year plan; c. Active and engaged food justice learning community focused on equity practices in the food system and among a diverse array of community partners. 254 volunteers engaged in food justice activities; 132 participants in 8 CFJN Whole Measures for CFS community gatherings; Goal #2- Fuel and sustain economic empowerment through increased community-led urban agriculture, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville City youth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Increased opportunities for community residents through food justice employment 4 Community Food Justice Apprentices hired to work in food justice, host peer learning circle, and advocate for increased urban farm land. 1 new Community Advocate Lead hired 2 Friendship Court residents hired to work as Farm Manager and Farm Associate growing, harvesting, and distributing food to neighbors in public and subsidized housing at no cost; b. Protected urban agriculture in low-income communities across the city, specifically public and subsidized housing sites; Launched new farm site at Charlottesville Area Technical Educational Center and signed a five-year contract to be able to work on this land. Re-launched an urban farm on West Street, in Charlottesville's Promise neighborhood. Goal #3: - Increase food access points with local markets,Fresh Farmacy,andHarvest of the Monthfor community members, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville City youth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Expanded urban food distribution and market participation at CFJN partners. Hosted 29 weekly produce distributions through neighborhood Community Market Days with 6,539 pounds of fresh produce delivered to 587 families, at no cost; Implemented two new access points for urban food markets for food insecure neighbors; 15,000 deliveries of fresh food bags for Fresh Farmacy and PB&J Fund delivered to 600 families investing $252,000 in produce from local growers; Increased fresh local foods in public institutions Profiled 8 local crops through Harvest of the Month and schoolyard gardens; 22,000 fresh, healthy, locally sourced meals provided to 2,750 Charlottesville city youth; Goal #4: Build capacity, healthy living skills and leadership for youth and residents through gardening, growing and preparing food, engaged community organizing and food justice analysis. a. Provided garden-based nutrition education and programming for all Charlottesville City Schools and at the City of Promise Garden program. 3,970 youth engaged in gardening, growing food, and healthy eating; 16,300 youth interactions with their schoolyard and neighborhood gardens; b. Grow Youth Food Justice Intern Program for teens involved with City Schoolyard Garden and City of Promise. Increased youth employed for food justice work to 11 paid youth interns; 475 hours of youth community service to grow 7,000 transplants and deliver them to over a dozen community-based garden organizations.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Food Equity Initiative Policy FY22 Report: https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Cultivate-Food-Justice-Network_Food-Equity-Initiative-FY22-EOY-Report.pdf
|
Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience: Just Food for USactivities have included three main communities. The Charlottesville City School (CCS) school students. This included around 3,500 youth (2,400 elementary and 500 middle school, 600 high school) from across the city. Of those youth, an average of 57% are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program (with significantly more eligible); the study body make up includes 53% Students of Color (36% black, 11% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Asian), 40% white,7% other; 9% of students are English as a second language and there are 35 home languages in our district; 37% of youth in our school district are classified as overweight or obese-with that number rising to 49% for students of color. The CFP program implemented at CCS has engaged nearly every single elementary school student and around 500 middle school and 600 high school youth. While student participation continues to be limited due to COVID restrictions, we are still hosting weekly programming at each school and in afterschool clubs.We also have continued to work with youth in smaller groups including 10 Youth Food Justice Interns and 85 elementary students (in small groups of 10 or fewer). Residents living in Public and Subsidized Housing and the City of Promise Neighborhoods. Friendship Court is one of the main neighborhoods where residents participate in the Urban Agriculture Collective's weekly Community Markets. Residents can pick up fresh grown produce (from their onsite farm) at no cots. The private subsidized housing development has been under development pressure over the past year and residents are working hard to be included in the conversation to reduce displacement. With 150 families and more than 250 children the average income is $10,800/year (significantly below the Charlottesville average of $54,029) and over 45% of residents indicated they cannot afford the food they need. Within this community, over 107 residents (45 youth and 62 adults) have engaged in urban food production and the community market. Additionally, we have been partnering with Charlottesville's City of Promise neighborhood which includes the Westhaven, Star Hill, and 10th& Page areas of our city and reaches 241 youth. At the launch of the Promise neighborhood in 2011, graduation rates were far below the district average (ranging from 25%-65%) and 100% of residents were near or below the poverty line with 60% unemployment. ForJust Food for US,all families in the neighborhood had the benefit of utilizing and spending time in the garden. This year there have been over 50youth actively engaged in the care and growing of the garden. The graduation rate for students increased to 95% this year! The Food Justice Network & City Departmental Partners Over the second year of this project, the Food Justice Network has established mechanisms for community voice through both formal and informal meetings with oversight by community stakeholders and community members on programs and broader food access issues. We have brought together over 35 organizations and twelve City departments to implement the Food Equity Initiative. The Network has hosted 25 meetings and engaged over 187 advocates in the City's Comprehensive plan, 25 advocates in the City's Strategic Plan, 38members in the planning team, and 1,812 community members. Of the twelve City departments with whom we are working, all twelve have established clear food equity goals and 27 of the 32 recommendations for these departments have been implemented to date.? Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Just Food for US team participated and led numerous trainings and professional develop opportunities over the past year, including: · Food Equity Initiative City Training - Cultivate's Executive Director, Jeanette Abi-Nader, and Food Justice Network Program Director hosted 5 trainings Food as Human Right. · Governor's Road Map to End Hunger - Cultivate Charlottesville was invited to present at the second Virginia Food Security Summit and our collaboration with City, nonprofit and community members on the Food Equity Initiative was profiled in the Governor's Virginia Road Map to End Hunger. · SoulFire Farm Uprooting Racism - We hosted an online two day training for 143 community members. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Cultivate Charlottesville has hosted six meetings this fiscal year to update community members on the work of the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform as well as other the City Comprehensive Planning process. Typically around 30 organizations attend these meetings and it is a key opportunity to exchange ideas, engage community, glean input and refine our practices. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This year of the Just Food for US project saw significant gains with including food equity language and measures in the City's Comprehensive Plan. We also did robust outreach around the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform. Over the next year, we will work on the next phase of the City's planning process ensuring inclusion of food equity and urban agriculture in the City Strategic Plan and a citywide Parks and Recreation Department strategic plan. We are also working with 12 city departments and around 25 local organizations to implement aspects of the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform. Over the past year we have worked to balance the continued need for emergency COVID-19 responses as well as pivot back to our core work of building a food equity foundation in our city, nonprofit, and community partnerships. Our collective work bringing together Network partners, City partners, and broader community to engage in deepening capacity for racial equity practices, however, has been uplifting and impactful. Throughout this year, we have continued to prioritize the voices and choices of youth and community members affected by food insecurity as we bridge community advocacy, increased partner engagement, and intensified thought leadership around building food equity and racial equity. As we look forward to our final year of this initial three-year partnership, we will be moving towards strong deliverables through the final integration of food equity language in the comprehensive plan, refinement of the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform with a set of clear recommendations grounded in implementation plans, and launch of a Land is Liberation campaign to restore urban agriculture land to Charlottesville's low-wealth neighborhoods. In FY21 we plan to continue adapting the changing COVID-19 safety measures and emerging community needs by investing in the leadership of Community Advocates, ensuring principles of equity are implemented in emergency food relief and designing systems change efforts. Our focus for FY21 will continue on the initial three FEI strategies of healthy school foods, urban agriculture, and affordable housing. Following are some of our core implementation strategies. 1. Community Leadership-In addition to cohorts of Community Advocates and Youth Food Justice Intern deepening our investment in grassroots community leadership, we plan to host several community circles to cultivate community representation around the urban agriculture initiatives. 2. City Comprehensive & Strategic Planning Processes-We are near the final stages of the advocacy for this phase of the comprehensive plan and have much to be proud of as demonstrated in the 65 food equity recommendations integrated into the plan demonstrating Charlottesville's innovative committed to food equity. Our focus this year is on ensuring the implementation measures continue to be robust and well understood across departments. 3. Food Equity Policy Platform Public Education Efforts-Food Justice Network will continue to host community events to build support for and understanding of the platform planks as well as represent Charlottesville at numerous state, regional, and national spaces. We will solicit robust community feedback and modify as needed with specific focus on implementation needs. 4. City Department Food Equity Plans-During this year's meetings with City staff, we recognize and ongoing commitment to integrating food equity into numerous city departments. This year we aim to build out implementation plans and budgets for their food equity priorities as outlined in the Policy Platform. 5. Covid-19 Support-Food Justice Network team will continue to implement the COVID-19 emergency food response communications text messaging and calendars. Similar to the wrap around service efforts, we aim to find an institutional partner that can transition into this work by the end of FY22. 6. Food Equity Fund-Building on lessons learned from our work with Communities Unlimited and the Equitable Food Oriented Development network, as well as research on similar programs across the country, Cultivate is pursuing setting up a city Food Equity Fund. Our aim this year is to finalize a plan for an equitable way to invest in food equity infrastructure for Charlottesville that supports movement from a foodie town to a food equity town. 7. Land is Liberation-This year we are focusing on innovative solutions to the loss of 100% of Urban Agriculture Collective's land at public and subsidized housing sites that has produced 17,000 pounds of fresh produce for low wealth residents, right in their back yards. Through an intensive community engagement process (interviews and circle discussions) we plan to launch a campaign, Land Is Liberation. The name for this campaign emerged from interviews of Black farmers conducted by youth food justice interns.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal #1: Leverage cross-sectorial community efforts to increase equitable food justice policies and practices for community impact and healing in Charlottesville. a. Increased prevalence of community-based practitioners with knowledge and capacity to effectively address food related health disparities across race and class. 10 Youth Food Justice Interns employed for a total of 1,960 hours and activated with new skills and income; 29 Food Justice Network member organizations adopted an organization specific racial equity statement and 143 individuals participated in a November Racial Equity training; Youth Food Justice Interns launched nine sundials to honor the Charlottesville 12 African American students who integrated Charlottesville schools; 516 CFJN community member engaged in food equity and food access advocacy; 284 community members signed on to the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform b. Increased food equity policies and practices in city, public, and nonprofit institutions that affect systems change. 12 city departments adopt food equity goals that strengthen city-wide food security; 65 food equity recommendations adopted in the draft Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan; 27 of 32 City Department food equity actions implemented (to date); Charlottesville City Schools implemented steps in the Healthy Schools Initiative with 5-year strategy plan; Obtained 3 funding sources for the Charlottesville City School Healthy Schools 5 year plan implementation; Established racial equity COVID support practices; c. Active and engaged food justice learning community focused on equity practices in the food system and among a diverse array of community partners. 587 volunteers and 35 partners engaged in food justice activities; 285 participants in 8 CFJN Whole Measures for CFS community gatherings; 30 organizations came together to provide emergency COVID food and wrap around services; 59,172 meals delivered to youth and families during COVID stay at home measures; Goal #2- Fuel and sustain economic empowerment through increased community-led urban agriculture, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville City youth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Increased opportunities for community residents through food justice employment 12 Community Food Justice Advocates employed and trained to improve communication with communities of color around COVID resources; 2 Friendship Court residents hired to work as Farm Manager and Farm Associate growing, harvesting, and distributing food to neighbors in public and subsidized housing at no cost; b. Protected urban agriculture in low-income communities across the city, specifically public and subsidized housing sites. Presented to City Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on proposed urban agriculture initiatives for City planning; Launched new farm site at Charlottesville Area Technical Educational Center Goal #3: - Increase food access points with local markets,Fresh Farmacy,andHarvest of the Monthfor community members, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville City youth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Expanded urban food distribution and market participation at CFJN partners. Hosted 29 weekly produce distributions through neighborhood Community Market Days with 6,539 pounds of fresh produce delivered to 587 families, at no cost; Implemented two new access points for urban food markets for food insecure neighbors; 28,573 deliveries of fresh food bags for Fresh Farmacy and PB&J Fund delivered to 900 families investing $375,000 in produce from local growers; Increased fresh local foods in public institutions Profiled 9 local crops through Harvest of the Month and schoolyard gardens; 14,070 fresh, healthy, locally sourced meals provided to Charlottesville city youth; Goal #4: Build capacity, healthy living skills and leadership for youth and residents through gardening, growing and preparing food, engaged community organizing and food justice analysis. a. Provided garden-based nutrition education and programming for all Charlottesville City Schools and at the City of Promise Garden program. 3,098youth engaged in gardening, growing food, and healthy eating; 31,249 youth interactions with their schoolyard and neighborhood gardens; 52,324 hours of garden and food justice training and instruction; b. Grow Youth Food Justice Intern Program for teens involved with City Schoolyard Garden and City of Promise. Increased youth employed for food justice work to 10 paid youth interns; 600 hours of youth community service to grow 10,000 transplants and deliver them to over a dozen community-based garden organizations.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
City of Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY21 Mid Year Report_May 2021 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gn1EmVvsX7y6dmHewtQw20o4bVdJRtVh/view?usp=sharing
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
City of Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY21 Report_November 2021 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G3JFFFXEAAglQUFJaB8S0UuDV3IXGsv4/view?usp=sharing
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Virginia Roadmap to End Hunger with Cultivate Charlottesville Profile | https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Virginia-Roadmap-to-End-Hunger.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
COVID-19 Wraparound Support Program Evaluation Report | https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/COVID-19-Wraparound-Services-Program-Evaluation-Executive-Summary.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Charlottesville COVID-19 Emergency Food Response Lessons Learned January 2021 | https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cville-COVID-Food-Lessons-Learned-Review_Executive-summary-.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform_April 2021 | https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Food-Equity-Initiative-Policy-Platform_OCT21-1.pdf
|
Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Just Food for USactivities have included three main communities. The Charlottesville City School (CCS) school students. This included around 3,500 youth (2,400 elementary and 500 middle school, 600 high school) from across the city. Of those youth, an average of 57% are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program (with significantly more eligible); the study body make up includes 40% white, 36% black, 11% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Asian, 7% other; 9% of students are English as a second language and there are 35 home languages in our district; 37% of youth in our school district are classified as overweight or obese-with that number rising to 49% for students of color. The CFP program implemented at CCS has engaged nearly every single elementary school student and around 500 middle school and 600 high school youth. Students participated in intensive daily/weekly programming through March when COVID restrictions were initiative. Since March, we have continued to work with youth in smaller groups including 10 Youth Food Justice Interns and 85 elementary students (in small groups of 10 or fewer). Residents living in Public and Subsidized Housing and the City of Promise Neighborhoods. Friendship Court is one of the main neighborhoods where residents participate in the Urban Agriculture Collective's weekly Community Markets. Residents can pick up fresh grown produce (from their onsite farm) at no cots. Theprivate subsidized housing development has been under development pressure over the past year and residents are working hard to be included in the conversation to reduce displacement. With 150 families and more than 250 children the average income is $10,800/year (significantly below the Charlottesville average of $54,029) and over 45% of residents indicated they cannot afford the food they need. Within this community, over 107 residents (45 youth and 62 adults) have engaged in urban food production and the community market. Additionally, we have been partnering with Charlottesville's City of Promise neighborhood which includes the Westhaven, Star Hill, and 10th& Page areas of our city and reaches 241 youth. At the launch of the Promise neighborhood in 2011, graduation rates were far below the district average (ranging from 25%-65%) and 100% of residents were near or below the poverty line with 60% unemployment. ForJust Food for US,all families in the neighborhood had the benefit of utilizing and spending time in the garden. This year there have been over 50youth actively engaged in the care and growing of the garden. The Food Justice Network & City Departmental Partners Over the first year of this project, the Food Justice Network has established mechanisms for community voice through both formal and informal meetings with oversight by community stakeholders and community members on programs and broader food access issues. We have brought together over 35 organizations and twelve City departments to implement the Food Equity Initiative. The Network has hosted 25 meetings and engaged over 130 advocates in the City's Comprehensive plan, 22 advocates in the City's Strategic Plan, 37 members in the planning team, and 1,465 community members. Of the twelve City departments with whom we are working, ten have established clear food equity goals and 21 of the 32 recommendations for these departments have been implemented to date. Changes/Problems:The Charlottesville Food Justice Network has been a centralizing stakeholder in the immediate food security response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Charlottesville and surrounding areas. We have developed and continue to define a short-term emergency food security communications structure and short-term operational plan support among our 30+ networks organizations including non-profits, local government and others. While the extent and duration of the disruption that the pandemic has caused is still unknown,it's becoming increasingly clear that this is not a short-term problem and that as the weeks and months go on, more durable and long-term efforts will need to be enacted to protect the food security of Charlottesville's most vulnerable. The City of Charlottesville Human Services has worked closely with Charlottesville Food Justice Network to take a central role in developing a longer-term food security strategy for the Charlottesville community. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TheJust Food for USteam participated and led numerous trainings and professional develop opportunities over the past year, including: ·Food Equity Initiative City Training -Cultivate's Executive Director, Jeanette Abi-Nader, and Food Justice Network Program Director hosted 7 trainings (including 3 within City Departments and 4 with nonprofit and community partners) on Food as Human Right. ·Community Food Systems National Conference- Our Youth Food Justice Interns, Community Advocates and staff were invited to present at the CFS National Conference in Savannah, GA in December 2019. ·Governor's Road Map to End Hunger- Cultivate Charlottesville was invited to present at the Virginia Food Security Summit and our collaboration with City, nonprofit and community members on the Food Equity Initiative was profiled in the Governor's Virginia Road Map to End Hunger. ·SoulFire Farm Uprooting Racism- A cadre of 5 staff and 5 community members attended a two-day intensive uprooting racism workshop with SoulFire farm. We then hosted a follow up workshop for 140 Charlottesville partners this fall. ·Groundwater Training Dismantling Racism Workshop- Over 55 community members attended a Groundwater (in-person) training in late 2019 and then over 120 participants for an online training in the summer of 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In April of 2020, City Schoolyard Garden changed our name to Cultivate Charlottesville. We did this to more accurately represent how our work had grown to build a healthy and just food system personally, in community, and across systems and structures. With robust community input, we established an updated mission, racial equity statement and strategies that utilize our three program initiatives: City Schoolyard Garden, Urban Agriculture Collective, and Food Justice Network. (Our EIN remained the same.) Cultivate Charlottesville just completed our FY20 Impact report which summarizes the work of our three initiatives over the past fiscal year. This report has been shared widely with over 800 community members and supporters. The report is based on surveys, focus groups, and interviews that included over 1,500 community members insights into the successes and areas of growth for our work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This year of the Just Food for US project saw steady gains towards our Healthy Schools initiative, a significant win within the Affordable Housing resource allocations, and a successful adaption of Urban Agriculture and Community Market to reduced land available for growing. Additionally, our network partners, City partners, and broader community engaged in deepening capacity for racial equity practices. Most importantly, we prioritized the voices and choices of youth and community members affected by food insecurity as we moved from engaging in planning and goal setting in year one, to implementation and decision making this year. Since March 2020, we also pivoted much needed resources and partner efforts towards the coordination of emergency food relief and wrap around services that would minimize the rise of food insecurity and unequal disparities in our food economy. Of course, the disparities and growing economic and food crisis is still critical. In FY21 we plan to continue adapting the changing COVID-19 safety measures and emerging community needs by investing in the leadership of Community Advocates, ensuring principles of equity are implemented in emergency food relief and designing systems change efforts. Our focus for FY21 will continue on the initial three FEI strategies of healthy school foods, urban agriculture, and affordable housing. Following are some of our core implementation strategies. 1.We will continue the core work of Just Food for US including the schoolyard garden hands on learning with City Schoolyard Garden, the community farm and market with Urban Agriculture Collective and the policy and advocacy work with Food justice Network. 2.Covid-19 Support Food Justice Network team will continue to provide support, assessment, coordination and leadership for the emergency food response to COVID-19 adapting to needs as they emerge, building capacity in partners to sustain long-term efforts, and prioritizing communities of color. 3. Community Leadership Through the Community Advocates, Youth Food Justice Interns, and Black and Brown Farmer Group we will invest in grassroots community leadership. 4. City Department Food Equity Plans Food Justice Network staff will continue to work with City staff to implement and deepen their food equity plans as outlined in the enclosed Departmental Plan updates. 5. City Comprehensive & Strategic Planning Processes Food Justice Network will continue to provide community building efforts to engage residents in the comprehensive and strategic planning process and provide critical recommendations for food equity inclusion. 6.Food Equity Public Education Efforts Food Justice Network will launch a second roundtable event (early 2021) to deepen capacity in our community to understand food equity efforts with a focus on the theme of Land is Liberation and Black and Brown growers. ?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal #1: Leverage cross-sectorial community efforts to increase equitable food justice policies and practices for community impact and healing in Charlottesville. a.Increased prevalence of community-based practitioners with knowledge and capacity to effectively address food related health disparities across race andclass. 10 Youth Food Justice Interns employed for a total of 1,960 hours and activated with new skills and income; 15 Food Justice Network member organizations adopted an organization specific racial equitystatement and 69 individuals have signed up for a November Racial Equity training; Youth Food Justice Interns designed a sundial to honor the Charlottesville 12 African American students who integrated Charlottesville schools; 150 CFJN community member participants report growth in food justiceknowledge; b.Increased food equity policies and practices in city, public, and nonprofit institutions that affect systems change. 12 city departments adopt food equity goals that strengthen city-wide food security; 12 food equity recommendations adopted (to date) in the draft Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan; 21 of 32 City Department food equity actions implemented (to date); Charlottesville City Schools adopted Healthy Schools Initiative with 5-year strategy plan; Obtained 3 funding sources for the Charlottesville City School Healthy Schools 5 year plan implementation; Established racial equity COVID support practices; c.Activeandengagedfoodjusticelearningcommunityfocusedonequitypracticesinthefood system and among a diverse array of community partners. 430 volunteers and 33 partners engaged in food justiceactivities; 300 participants in 10 CFJN Whole Measures for CFS communitygatherings; 30 organizations came together to provide emergency COVID food and wrap around services; 59,172 meals delivered to youth and families during COVID stay at home measures; Goal #2- Fuel and sustain economic empowerment through increased community-led urban agriculture, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville City youth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Increased opportunities for community residents through food justice employment. -12 Community Food Justice Advocates employed and trained to improve communicaiton with community of color around COVID resources; -2 Friendship court residents hired to work as the UAC Farm Manager and Farm Associate b. Expanded CFJN Partners urban food production Increased produce grown and donated to 10,000 pounds acrosspartners; Increased community volunteers with 1,030 volunteer hours byresidents; Grown and distributed 9,000 transplants to community partners which off-set community spending on food production costs by $27,000. Protected urban agriculture in low-income communities across the city, specifically public and subsidized housingsites. Presented to City Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on proposed urban agriculture initiatives for City planning; Goal #3: - Increase food access points with local markets,Fresh Farmacy,andHarvest of the Monthfor community members, in particular by food insecure or low-income residents of color, Charlottesville Cityyouth, refugees, and immigrants. a. Expanded urban food distribution and market partiicpation at FJN partners? Hosted 26 weekly produce distributions through neighborhood Community MarketDays with6,053 pounds of fresh produce delivered to 523 families, at no cost; Implemented two new access points for urban food markets for food insecureneighbors; 8,901 bags of produce to 23,901 deliveries of fresh food bags forFresh Farmacy and PB&J Funddelivered to 933 families investing $395,000 in produce from local growers; Increasedfresh local foods in public institutions Profiled 9 local crops throughHarvest of the Monthand schoolyardgardens; 21,000 fresh, healthy, locally sourced snacks provided to Charlottesville cityyouth; Goal #4: Build capacity, healthy living skills and leadership for youth and residents through gardening, growing and preparing food, engaged community organizing and food justice analysis. a. Provided garden-based nutrition educaiton and programming for all Charlottesville City School youth and at the City of Promise garden program. 3,0980 youth engaged in gardening, growing food, and healthyeating; 31,249 youth interactions with their schoolyard and neighborhoodgardens; 52,324 hours of garden and food justice training andinstruction; b. Grow Youth Food Justice Intern Program for teens involved with CSG and City of Promise. Increased youth employed for food justice work to 10 paid youth interns; 600 hours of youth community service to grow 9,000 transplants and deliver them to over a dozen community-based gardenorganizations.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Just Food for US team produced the following documents:
" Local Food Local Places Strategic Action Plan
Local Food Local Places Community Action Plan September 2019: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o71Zf_KLw_a_pmqEf8xc6jXeAKlGYuj7/view?usp=sharing
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Just Food for US team produced the following documents:
" City of Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY19 Report
Cultivate Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY19 Final Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IYpwJSBsoWB_qL-tLiN_h1HJznNbZt21/view?usp=sharing
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
The Just Food for US team produced the following documents:
" City of Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY20 MIDYEAR Report
Cultivate Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY20 Mid Year Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lnDxpdcXTq-OgCTtLAV1mAWNaxMWJA7c/view?usp=sharing
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
The Just Food for US team produced the following documents:
" Cultivate Charlottesville FY20 Impact ReportCultivate Charlottesville FY20 Impact Report: https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Cultivate-Charlottesville-FY20-IMPACT-REPORT.pdf
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