Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s Post

A year from today, we were asked: “What will it take to create a more accessible, equitable, and complete food security system?” • We laid a foundation to this question and part of our solution is- solving food apartheid by recreating our own food system in East Knoxville through a Black led movement. • • We had the pleasure of presenting our year one shareout of our impact report. We are honored to be a part of the food and land justice work in our city. It excites us to think about the future of Black Knoxville's Food Landscape in East Knoxville. We wouldn't be able to do this work without United Way Greater Knoxville, Canvas Can Do Miracles, 3 Cubed plus a plethora of other partners who fund and support our movement. • • To think we are just at Y1 & have covered so much ground is astonishing. Again, we couldn’t do this without a receptive community, committed volunteers, aligned collaborators & partners. Last year, we had an ambition goal of establishing 100 gardens in the city by year 1. Well, we will have a count of 167 gardens on the ground by December 2023. It’s an honor to lead this collective as it takes courage, grit, and fortitude to do this work while sowing seeds of resistance and wisdom. Knox County United Way #foodapartheid #growfoodnotlawns #foodrevolution #oppressivefoodsystems #dismantlethesystem #foodjustice #redlining #foodswamp #thecoloroflaw #foodinsecurity #fooddisparities #supportlocal #community #foodmovement #meikmeals #battlefieldfarms #ROOTEDEAST #thefoodfighters #eastsidefoodnetwork #powertothepeople #restoration #foodiscurrency #decolonizeourfoodsystems

In a tale of two cities, one story rises to the top - football is not the only battle being fought. One is that of Affordable Housing, or lack thereof in San Francisco, and the other is that of Food Deserts, or the overwhelming lack of access to affordable, healthy food in Kansas City. Let’s focus on Food Deserts today because it’s not surprising that San Francisco housing costs are 457.2% more expensive than Kansas City’s, although the gap is striking nonetheless.  Food Deserts are a national challenge, with more than 53M, or 17% of Americans, categorized as low-income and having little to no access to supermarkets or large food stores At 20.1% of Kansas City’s residents living in a food desert, its rate is double that of San Francisco and puts the region in the lower quartile of the country. Here at Equity Quotient, we are building a National Food Desert Database while also expanding the definition of what a food desert is. If you know of organizations that would be interested in partnering with us on this important project, we hope you’ll be in touch. #HealthEquity

📍: Rendering of Detroit Food Commons | Credit: Brinker Group The Detroit People's Food Co-op an African American-led initiative, is a community-owned grocery cooperative slated to launch in Detroit's North End in February 2024. With a mission to tackle food insecurity, the co-op emphasizes nutritional awareness, sustainability, backing local enterprises, and channeling resources back into the community. The idea for the co-op originated from discussions within the DETROIT BLACK COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY NETWORK INC, which was established in 2006 to support existing co-ops and create a new one. It was born from the community's desire to combat the economic practices in Black communities within the food industry. There is only one Black-owned grocery store in Detroit, the Linwood Fresh Market, which is a recent addition. The co-op aims to challenge this disparity and prevent the profits from leaving the community by promoting community ownership and reinvesting in the area. Learn more about their work: https://bit.ly/3Pvd9jt #sbndetroit #sustainablebusinessnetwork #sustainablebusinessnetworkdetroit #sustainablebusiness #environmentaljustice #climatechange #climateaction #sustainabledetroit #southeastmichigan #foodinsecurity #fightinghunger #blackcommunities #upliftingcommunities

“Food is the basic necessities of life, right? Without it, how can you do anything else? And it's really important. Basic needs to get food on the table,” says Josh Kline, LOFT Community Services, Coordinator, Mount Dennis Food Bank. As the cost of living continues to rise 📈, the affordability issue impacts tenants' ability to purchase food. To help tackle this issue, Toronto Community Housing has partnered with tenants and community agencies by supporting food banks and food programs. Watch our first video of our food security food series to hear from TCHC employees, community partners and tenant leaders on how we respond to food insecurity in communities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SXtCjf

Food as Medicine，agreed，but not only from farm...

At Denver Food Rescue, we believe that acknowledging the inherent dignity of our program participants is just as important as the food we provide. Our No Cost Grocery Programs, like the one pictured at Thomas Bean Towers, operate using a ‘choice model.’ This means that families get to decide what foods to take home based on what best suits their needs, rather than being handed a box of food that they may be unfamiliar with. We also require no ID or proof of income to get food at our No Cost Grocery Programs. We believe that everyone deserves fresh food, no matter their situation. Lastly, we break away from the traditional ‘food pantry’ model by delivering the food we rescue directly to a No Cost Grocery Program within 2 hours. This means we are able to provide the freshest quality food to our participants, and it enables us to rescue mostly fresh produce. Learn more about our mission at our website, DenverFoodRescue.org. #foodaccess #foodrescue #foodjustice#foodsecurity #healthequity #healthequitynow #healthequityjustice #healthequityforall #denvervolunteers #volunteer #denverfood #denver

DC Central Kitchen started as an idea "for a ‘central kitchen’ picking up wasted food (which people said was unwise), turning it into balanced meals for shelters and nonprofits (which people said was unsustainable), and using that process to train jobless adults in the culinary arts." Today that idea serves over 4,000 meals per day and has helped more than 2,100 adults facing barriers to employment launch culinary careers. What resources do you have in hand that can be used as a tool for impact? Many nonprofits, and churches for that matter, have underutilized resources, including commercial kitchens, that can be used to increase service capacity and revenue. Big impact starts with one idea. What's yours? #midwestmanage #socialenterprise

McDonald’s has introduced a tiny restaurant designed specifically for bees, aiming to provide a safe haven for these important creatures. This fully functional beehive was carefully created by a skilled woodworker and offers enough room to accommodate thousands of bees. The miniature eatery features recognizable McDonald’s branding, including a small “drive-thru” entrance and a cozy patio area with seating. It even includes window advertisements, resembling a traditional McDonald’s restaurant. This unique initiative was inspired by McDonald’s branches in Sweden, which have beehives installed on their rooftops. Moreover, various McDonald’s franchisees have joined in efforts to protect bees, as their population has been declining significantly in recent years. By creating the world’s tiniest restaurant for bees, McDonald’s aims to raise awareness about the importance of these pollinators and the challenges they face. This initiative not only pays tribute to their Swedish branches but also encourages other businesses and individuals to take action in protecting and supporting bee populations. #bees #McDonald #Sweden #businesses #challenges

McDonald’s has introduced a tiny restaurant designed specifically for bees, aiming to provide a safe haven for these important creatures. This fully functional beehive was carefully created by a skilled woodworker and offers enough room to accommodate thousands of bees. The miniature eatery features recognizable McDonald’s branding, including a small “drive-thru” entrance and a cozy patio area with seating. It even includes window advertisements, resembling a traditional McDonald’s restaurant. This unique initiative was inspired by McDonald’s branches in Sweden, which have beehives installed on their rooftops. Moreover, various McDonald’s franchisees have joined in efforts to protect bees, as their population has been declining significantly in recent years. By creating the world’s tiniest restaurant for bees, McDonald’s aims to raise awareness about the importance of these pollinators and the challenges they face. This initiative not only pays tribute to their Swedish branches but also encourages other businesses and individuals to take action in protecting and supporting bee populations. #bees #McDonald #Sweden #businesses #challenges