New Haven Food Policy Council Activities & Accomplishments
September 2012 – September 2013
New Haven Food Action Plan
Comprehensive set of policy recommendations developed by the Council; final draft released in March 2013. The plan is currently under review by the New Haven Board of Aldermen for their official endorsement.
Community Engagement
Food Summit: Over 125 participants attended the October 2012 Food Summit, the final phase of community outreach and Food Action Plan development.
Working Group development: An outgrowth of the Food Summit and Food Action Plan, several issue-specific working groups formed as a venue for community engagement and food system change. Working groups are engaged in multiple activities.
Community Engagement Grant (CEIO): In partnership with CitySeed, awarded $100,000 over two years (2012-14) to support community engagement for NHFPC organizational development and diversity training.
Youth engagement: Awarded a 3-year AmeriCorps VISTA Food Justice Youth Corps service member (2013-2016), collaborating with City Seed as site partner. New Haven is one of five sites statewide.
Food Month 2012: Organized city-wide food events in conjunction with The Big Food exhibit at the Peabody Museum and National Food Day, reaching several hundred residents.
Advocacy Efforts
Mayoral Candidate Forum on Food and Health: Over 160 residents attended the July 31, 2013 forum, raising awareness about the importance of the next administration to address food and health issues in New Haven.
Disaster planning: Successfully advocated for changes to the New Haven Office of Emergency Management’s Preparedness Plan to include emergency food providers as a priority for restoration during large-scale power outages to support the needs of the city’s most underserved population.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Met with Rosa DeLauro’s office to advocate for the implementation of this program, which reaches CT seniors and WIC recipients; in active discussion with her office.
Urban Agriculture proposal: Submitted formal recommendations to the Mayor’s Office for expanding food growing across New Haven, including the creation of a community farm; in active discussion.
Composting proposal: With support from CT DEEP, developed a set of recommendations for implementing small-scale composting facilities for New Haven.
Select Working Group Highlights
Cooking Class Development: Recruited a pool of community-based teachers to offer free cooking classes and “Pop-Up” cooking sites around New Haven, resulting in 350 community members learning new healthy cooking skills. Partnered to expand Cooking Matters’ programs to ten, 6-week courses through a $20,000 grant from the United Way Women’s Initiative.
How to Grow Food: Developed bilingual flyers containing a comprehensive list of gardening workshops and events taking place in the New Haven area from May through September 2013. Made available in hard-copy and on city website.
SNAP (Food Stamp) outreach expansion: New efforts initiated and coordinated through the Food Assistance Working Group and CARE to expand the number of community sites offering application assistance for enrolling into SNAP.
Food Advocate Training: Received funding from the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven to offer a stipend training program, empowering residents who have received food assistance to become advocates for better policies and services. Launching in October 2013.
Food Assistance Street Sheet: Developing a comprehensive food assistance-focused “street sheet” to provide information about soup kitchens, food pantries, and other services in New Haven neighborhoods.
NHPS Wellness Committee Manual: Collaborated with the committee to complete the wellness manual, disseminate it to schools, and include wellness information in all parent orientation packets.
Food Business Start-Up Basics: Compiled data to create info-graphics to assist emerging food businesses; awaiting funding for design work.