Newsletter- Fall 2020 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter- a food equity special

 
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter banner - text with Sierra Club logo of a green tree on a white background
   
 

Dear Supporter,

It’s well and truly fall! 

Many of us are starting to think about the upcoming holidays, and how we will navigate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other celebrations, in a year which has been unlike any other. 

A big part of these holidays, of course, is the food. While it’s something many may take for granted, accessing food isn’t always easy in our state. Accessing healthy, nutritious food, less easy still. Feeding America’s 2018 study states that 883,260 people in Indiana are food insecure. In the same year a report by SAVI- a program of The Polis Center at IUPUI- found that in Indianapolis alone, 200,000 residents live in food deserts. We can’t ignore that this inequity is most keenly felt by Black residents, people in poverty, and people without transportation. What’s more, these statistics are pre- pandemic , which is taking an additional toll. 

It is our strongly held belief that food access and equity is an essential part of the equity and justice we strive for in our communities. It is with this in mind that we decided to make this issue food equity-focused, and spotlight people across the state doing this vital work. We hope you enjoy this special edition.

Also in this issue, our regular feature- recommendations of what we’ve been reading, watching, and listening to. Don’t forget to let us know your recommendations too!
Pastor Curtis A. Whittaker Sr stands talking to a group of people, some filming, in a greenhouse with green leafy vegetables growing
Pastor Curtis A. Whittaker, Sr. of FAITH Farms and Orchard.  
Faith Farms logo- green and red writing and artwork of corn growing and a yellow sun rising behind a farmhouse

FAITH Farms & Orchard (Gary)

Pastor Curtis A. Whittaker, Sr: "FAITH Farms & Orchard is a program of FAITH CDC, which is a ministry of Progressive Community Church of Gary. We are located in the heart of the Gary Downtown Emerson Neighborhood. It is our vision to build capacity and provide support for BIPOC youth and young adults with a demonstrated interest in farming, and to develop a community-driven approach to growing food that will improve food access and economic outlook, as well as build sense of community and improve nutrition education.

We seek to improve food security and access while simultaneously creating opportunities for BIPOC individuals to cultivate growing spaces and farm businesses. We present a holistic approach to addressing the concurrent challenges of food access, job access, the prevalence of blighted spaces in Gary, and the lack of infrastructure and support for emergent farmers through a program we call GARY EATS. 

You can access our services by calling us at 219-880-0850.

The community can support our work in the following ways:

1) assisting us in developing new partnerships through which we source our products;
2) volunteering to work at the farm;
3) providing financial support;
4) signing up to purchase a food box through our CSA program;
5) advocating for additional federal, state and local funding for BIPOC growers;
6) providing pro-bono grant support;
7) sharing grant opportunities with us;
8) sharing with others the work we are doing and asking them to get engaged in the work of creating just food systems."

Links: faithgary.org and Facebook

Read more about Faith Farms & Orchard on our website
No Questions Asked Food Pantry organizers Amber Toombs and Matty Slaydon stand smiling with their arms around each other
No Questions Asked Food Pantry organizers Amber Toombs, and Matty Slaydon. Photo courtesy of Matty Slaydon/NQAFP.

No Questions Asked Food Pantry (Indianapolis)

Matty (She/They), coordinator: "No Questions Asked Food Pantry is just what it sounds like! We provide food and other resources to folks, no questions asked. That means that all of the barriers that often prevent people from accessing food with dignity don't exist at NQAFP. No ID? No problem. Not a citizen? No problem? No bills or forms need to be provided, just show up, and we'll try to meet you needs. We rely entirely on volunteers to do our work, and donations make up the majority of the food we distribute.

Our pantry is open Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 12-2. People can come to the pantry located at 1125 Spruce St inside the Church Within to access services, or they can sign up for deliveries by calling us at (317) 203-9661, or by signing up via the link on our Facebook."   

Make a monetary donation here:
Venmo   - @Amber-Toombs
Paypal  - am.c.toombs@gmail.com
Cashapp - $AmberToombs

Sign up to volunteer here.

Links: FacebookInstagram. Email - info@noquestionsaskedfoodpantry.org

Read more about NQAFP on our website.

Emily Martin of Second Helpings smiles for the camera in front of a blue wall
Emily Martin- Marketing and Communications Manager, Second Helpings
 

Second Helpings (Central Indiana)

Emily Martin, Marketing and Communications Manager: "Since 1998, Second Helpings has accepted donated perishable and overstocked food to prepare nutritious meals for thousands of hungry children and adults every day, and distributes them free of charge through local social service agencies in central Indiana. Second Helpings also trains unemployed and underemployed adults for meaningful careers in the culinary industry.

Second Helpings doesn't serve meals directly to individuals, but provides them to more than 100 partner agencies across six counties in central Indiana. People in need of food can use the Indy Hunger Network's Community Compass app (or call Indiana 211) to find food resources near them.

You can find ways to get involved at secondhelpings.org, like donating, hosting a food drive, or volunteering."

Links: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our website secondhelpings.org

Read more about Second Helpings on our website.
Tatjana from The Thriving Schools Challenge sits with children and adults at a picnic table
Tatjana (far left) at Victory College Prep Academy with their Green Team in their garden. Photo courtesy of Tatjana Rebelle.
Thriving Schools Challenge 2021 logo- a green shield with a yellow flower and a gold ribbon

Tatjana Rebelle - Resilient Schools Coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana, and grower with Growin' Good in the Hood (Indianapolis)

"The Thriving Schools Challenge grants schools funding and certification for their sustainability projects. We are about to embark on our 3rd year of the program and my second year as the Coordinator. Recently the program has been fully handed over to me. Food access is at the forefront of this via helping schools with building and maintaining gardens. I am also a grower with Kheprw Institute's Growin' Good in the Hood community garden.

The Thriving Schools fall grant application is open until Nov 20, 2020. The Spring Application is open March 1- April 2, 2021.

We are seeking volunteers to help in the summer with gardens, as well as looking to build partnerships with community organizations and businesses looking to help financially."

Links: indythrivingschools.com/applications, kheprw.org/growingood and kheprw.org/community-controlled-food-initiative

Read more about Tatjana and their work on our website.

Society of St. Andrew volunteers gleaning watermelons- a large group of people stand in a field in front of a mound of watermelons
Society of St. Andrew volunteers gleaning watermelons.
Danielle Guerin, director of Soul Food Project, working at a raised bed food plot in the sunshine
Danielle Guerin, director of Soul Food Project. Photo credit- @skylercreative on Instagram
 
Nicholas Selm and co-workers at Flanner Farm. They are a group of 6 people smiling for the camera outside near some vegetables.
Nicholas Selm (second from left) and co-workers at Flanner Farm.

Food equity champions are at work in all parts of our state

In addition to those we've featured above, we would like to highlight the following folks.


Indiana:
Society of St Andrew Indiana (feature on our website)


Central and southern Indiana:
SEED Brown County, Nashville
Urban Seeds, Evansville (feature on our website)
Mother Hubbard's, Bloomington


Northern Indiana:
North West Indiana Food Council
Food Bank North West Indiana (feature on our website)
Emergency Soup Kitchen - help Chef Erik Tannehill continue to serve his community with this GoFundMe (Michigan City)


Indianapolis:
Indy's Community Food Co-op
Patachou Foundation (feature on our website)
Food Not Bombs
Flanner House (feature on our website)
Soul Food Project (feature on our website)
Kheprw Institute



Who have we missed?

To honor our commitment to this work, we dedicated a new section of our website to food equity and justice.

This list is not comprehensive. Let us know of folks working in food equity and justice, and we can add them to our website.

Stay informed!


Get in touch to be kept informed of food equity updates and actions from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.
A pretty moth or butterfly is held on a magnifying glass towards the camera for the viewer to admire
From the Sierra Magazine article, How to Connect Young Students to Nature During the Pandemic. PHOTO BY JOVANMANDIC/ISTOCK

 

Our recommendations this month

On food access and justice

Our fragile food systems: An interview with Joshua Gruver (NUVO)
Thanks to Outdated Laws, Growing Your Own Food Can Be Illegal (Sierra Magazine)
Wild Food for All- Read about Alexis Nikole Nelson aka The Black Forager, a wild food enthusiast from Nelson, Ohio. (Sierra Magazine)
‘From blight to light’ Gary pastor leads revival of urban neighborhood through community garden project - FAITH Farms and Orchard feature on Indiana Environmental Reporter.
A Plague of Pandemics (Edible Indy) 
The Neighbor Loaves Project: feeding people through feeding businesses, one loaf at a time (Edible Indy)
SEED Brown County Grows Interest in Grassroots Gardening (Indiana Environmental Reporter)

From Indiana
Feast Table of Our Future- a poem by Manon Voice (Women's Fund of Indiana)
The Treasured- a poem by Tatjana Rebelle (Commissioned by Central Indiana Community Foundation)
More Hoosiers Facing Energy Insecurity During Pandemic (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
Fall of the Avenue: How developers erased Indiana Ave. while celebrating its jazz history (Indy Star) (See also- Reclaim Indiana Avenue)

From Sierra Club
Sierra Club Outdoors "We Know Our Power" virtual panel
How to Connect Young Students to Nature During the Pandemic

From around the country and beyond
How Haatepah Clearbear Is Using His Platform for Climate Activism (Vogue)
Climate takeover: First-time voters are guest editing the Guardian US
We’re in a golden age of nature writing — and a more inclusive range of voices is bringing the genre to life (inews.co.uk)
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream Latria Graham follows up her essay from two years ago about the challenges of being Black in the outdoors. (Outside Online) 
The Guardian Tree of the Week series
An ‘Awe Walk’ Might Do Wonders for Your Well-Being (New York Times)
This is my message to the western world – your civilisation is killing life on Earth - Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo writes for the Guardian.
Urban Camping Programs Bring the Outdoors to Cities - Detroit Outdoors came up with a smart way to get more urban youth interested in camping—by providing experiences in the middle of the city they live in. (Outside Online)
How to cope with the long, cold Covid winter? By enjoying the outdoors (The Guardian)
Fighting Climate Change, One Building At A Time- "When Donnel Baird was in his 20s, he had twin passions, and he didn't want to choose between them. "I vowed that I was going to try to combine my passion for Black civil rights with trying to do something about climate change"" (NPR)

Reader recommends: Kirby Hammel recommends "This beautifully written essay struck me deeply. Written in 2017, and more relevant now." So what if we’re doomed? Climate chaos, mass extinction, the collapse of civilization: A guide to facing the ecocide. 
(
Does Kirby’s name sound familiar? He was a featured poet on our website during our 2019 Human/Nature art show.)

We want to hear from you! What have you been reading, listening to, or watching recently? Let us know!
Send us your recommendations!
A young child sits on the ground with fall leaves surrounding, in a park, with trees nearby
Our young supporter from our last newsletter, enjoying the fall foliage. Photo: Rebecca Dien-Johns.

Until next time!

We value your support and readership. 

Do you have have comments or questions about this newsletter?

Is there a subject you'd like us to talk about in the future?

We would love to hear from you!

In solidarity, 

Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.

PS Looking for previous issues? You can find our summer newsletter here, and our September newsletter here
The COVID-19 crisis has not passed and continues to disproportionately harm  Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people and other communities of color. The pandemic has revealed how the communities hardest hit are often the same communities that suffer from high levels of pollution and poor access to healthcare. The fight for environmental justice cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice.
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