Food insecurity: Event-Based Outreach affinity group

This is the start of a new affinity group called Event Based Outreach. The group will meet to discuss where, when, who will entertain (think Parents Who Rock), and where the food will come from.

Contact us for the Zoom link.

Tentative Agenda:

• Target date
• Planned location
• Food bags are promised by Toni’s Kitchen
• Planned performers and sound system
• Volunteer roles needed for event
• Flyers and publicity
• Engaging neighborhood residents
• Action items, next meeting, next facilitator

The food distribution of this group may grow to involve some of these elements:

• Seeking contributions from community members.
• Food shopping in grocery stores, bulk buying, farm gathering, or surplus collection.
• Pre-packing food items into individual/family boxes, and/or letting people pick their own items.
• Vehicle transportation to a series of distribution points, on a set schedule.
• Distribution from car trunk or on a table.
• Flea market with non-food items as well as food.
• Community/cultural events, like music or poetry, so people feel comfortable coming and taking food.
• Podcast for education, publicity, and celebration.
• Coordination with canvassers, to inform community members, and to gather info about needs.

An important goal in this project is to distribute food in different ways from what existing groups are doing. We don’t want to duplicate TK, HNFP, MESH, or the food pantries, for example. Different people use different resources, and feel comfortable receiving help in different ways; so our new form of outreach is intended help other people who are less effectively served by the existing food distribution channels.