Food Council Impact Highlights: April 2021

Thank you to our partners and supporters for their continued contributions to our work. Read on for more information about our achievements in April 2021!

Community Engagement and Network Building:

During the month of April, the Food Council hosted 18 meetings attended by nearly 300 community members, including four working group meetings, two Food Security Community Calls, and advocacy discussions with local elected officials. In total, the Food Council participated in over 70 community engagements this April, connecting with over 1,000 local residents, businesses, nonprofits, and government leaders. 

Communications Highlights: 

• We are excited to announce our “Food System Spotlights.” We invite you to share your appreciation for the people and organizations (including nonprofits, faith communities, for-profit businesses, food assistance providers, and individuals) engaged in food system initiatives in our community. To nominate yourself or other partners, please click here.
• We released two impact reports: The Food Access Grantees Impact Summary, which summarizes the COVID-19 Emergency Food Access Grant funding, including impact, key findings, and metrics; and The Food Security Community Advisory Board Impact Report which highlights the tremendous impact that Food Security Advisory Board members have made on food security initiatives and advocacy in our community. Click here to view the reports.
• Our communications team shared over 60 social media posts (on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) related to food assistance resources and distribution events, and our website received nearly 2,000 visits to pages pertaining to food security resources. 
• In an effort to continue building the capacity of local food system partners, we shared 3 new grant opportunities and 2  job openings with approximately 1,700 of our partner organizations.  

Food Security Highlights:

• • The Food Recovery and Access Working Group (FRAWG) continues to meet on a biweekly basis, during our Food Security Community Calls. 
    • The Food Security Community Call on April 6th featured updates from the County’s Senior Nutrition Program, Nonprofit Montgomery, Capital Area Food Bank and the County’s Office of Broadband Programs. Participants learned from speakers who shared information resources pertaining to Nonprofit Montgomery membership and information about the County’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program. 
    • On April 19th, the Food Security Community Call featured guest speakers who provided information on rental assistance programs available through the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The Montgomery County Food Council shared information about upcoming training opportunities, and welcomed a representative of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless who offered remarks about the intersection of homelessness and food insecurity. In keeping with the recommendations of the Food Security Plan to “Implement a comprehensive communication network for the food security community of providers” and to “Strengthen existing information sharing structures,”   Food Council members facilitated regional networking breakout sessions for Food Assistance Providers and community organizations. These sessions created informal local networking opportunities among organizations working in the same region so organizations could learn more about each other and discuss opportunities to partner or conduct referrals. 
      • During the month of April, over 200 participants joined our Food Security Calls. Those interested in joining the Food Security Community Calls can register in advance here.   

• The Food Security Community Advisory Board (FSCAB) met for their quarterly meeting on April 22nd. Board members provided updates on their advocacy plan and community engagement efforts they are moving forward throughout the County. The meeting focused on food policy issues shaped by Federal legislation. To illuminate specific issues and questions, we welcomed Jessica Semachko from Congressman Trone’s office. Jessica provided information about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR), which is currently being reviewed by Congress. Jessica shared ways residents can be involved in federal policy and advocacy, and spoke about strategies to connect with Members of Congress. Beza Tenna of the Montgomery County Food Council led a training on communications, advocacy skills and social media strategies. Members were given an overview of the Food Council’s Racial Equity Committee, and how they can be involved.

• The Food Council was invited to share information about food insecurity trends and the collaborative response in a panel discussion during “Good Deeds Week at Kol Shalom.” Kol Shalom and Critical Issues Forum co-hosted a Food Insecurity Forum and panel discussion.  Many thanks to Kol Shalom and CIF for drawing attention to this pressing public health challenge, and to community-level efforts to reduce food insecurity!
• The Food Council’s Food Sovereignty Panel Discussion took place on 4/30 and was attended by 119 community members. During the panel discussion, attendees learned about the main tenets of food sovereignty, and what community members can do to support and advocate for food sovereignty. The panelists talked about how the work they lead helps the community achieve food sovereignty, how they personally define food sovereignty, the barriers they see to food sovereignty, and the importance of choice and land access as pathways to achieve food sovereignty for consumers, producers, small businesses owners, and land stewards.
  • The panelists for this event were Tope Fajingbesi, Managing Partner at Dodo Farms, Lauren Goldberg, Executive Director at Crossroads Community Food Network, Michelle Nelson, Community Garden Program Manager at Montgomery Parks, and Vanessa Pierre, Founder of Homestead Hustle & Healing. The panel discussion was moderated by Kim McBride, Vice President of Community Health at Holy Cross Health. Click here to see the discussion! 

Working Group and Committee Meeting Highlights: 

Over 300 community partners joined us for our working group meetings this month. 

• The Environmental Impact Working Group (EIWG) meeting on 4/7 was attended by 27 community stakeholders, and was Part III of our Food Waste Recovery and Composting Education Series. This meeting featured presentations from Councilmember Andrew Friedson, Co-Sponsor, ZTA 20-04, Linda Bilsens Brolis, Institute for Local Self Reliance, Ben Parry, Compost Crew, and Jeremy Criss, Montgomery County Office of Agriculture, and focused on on-farm composting efforts and opportunities in the Montgomery County.
  • Those interested in joining the next Environmental Impact Working Group meeting on 6/1 can sign up to receive information here.
• The Food Economy Working Group (FEWG) meeting on 4/21 was attended by 12 community members, and MoCo Made businesses. The first portion of the meeting was dedicated to debriefing the March Matchmaking event. The remainder of the meeting highlighted the journeys of three successful MoCo Made collaborations: Cristin Cooper, Coop’s Soups, Nadee Bandaranayake, Cinnamon Tree Organics, and Jessica Snyder, Waredaca Brewery.  
  • Those interested in joining the next Food Economy Working Group meeting on 5/19 can sign up to receive information here. 
• The Food Education Working Group (FEdWG) meeting on 4/27 was attended by 34 attendees. During the meeting, the Gardening Grant Showcase continued with 3 presentations by:
  • Anthony Cohen, President, The Menare Foundation. The Menare Foundation is currently using its gardening grant award to create a program called Seeds of Hope, in partnership with Button Farm and the Rainbow Community Development Center. 250 garden kits containing seeds and plant starts will be distributed throughout Rainbow’s network, enabling people to grow food at home. There will also be classes and demonstrations at Button Farm to assist the new gardeners. 
  • Doreen Hines, Executive Director, The Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity. The Living Legends is using its award to expand the Emmanuel/Brinklow Gardens to produce enough food to subsidize farmers markets for residents who need assistance. They also hope to provide gardening education and nutrition education classes. 
  • Cat Kahn, Founder, HarvestShare. HarvestShare used its award to create the Growing Healthy Futures program, which is to teach residents how to make container gardens out of crates, and to provide growing materials and educational materials needed to maintain these mini gardens. The growing kits contained seeds that would grow into leafy greens, starting & potting mix, and educational materials.
    • Those interested in joining the next Food Education Working Group meeting on 5/25 can sign up for updates on this Working Group here. 
• The Gardening Subcommittee meeting was held on 4/28 with 20 attendees. During the meeting, Jessica McVary, Amy Lindsey, and Khalid Afzal from Montgomery County Planning Department gave a presentation about the Thrive Montgomery 2050 Plan, including its plan timeline, major concepts of the Proposed Plan, Recommendations that have come out of the Plan related to improving the County’s food system, and answered questions from meeting attendees.
• The Benefits Outreach and Enrollment Workgroup convenes conversations among organizations that work on outreach and/or enrollment, in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) such as Maryland Hunger Solutions, City of Takoma Park, Catholic Charities, and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. The 4/27 meeting included an overview of the Maryland General Assembly bills that passed and would impact their work. The group discussed current challenges and concerns related to benefit outreach, including changes and trends related to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). 

Policy and Advocacy Highlights: 

• During the month of April, the Policy Committee signed on to three organizational sign-on letters, including a sign-on from Maryland Hunger Solutions to support the Healthy School Meals for All bill to Congressional leaders. 
• The Policy Committee met on 4/22. The Committee provided updates on advocacy and policy opportunities the Food Council has been involved in, including testifying with Nonprofit Montgomery to increase nonprofit contracts with the County Council by 3% .
• The Food Council sent a summary overview of the outcome of food systems bills the Policy Committee sent a letter of support, joined a sign-on letter, testified, or tracked during the 2021 Maryland General Assembly Session.  

Thanks to all of our partners for continuing to support our efforts! Check back next month for another update. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.