January 2014 Newsletter


Happy 2014! HOPE Collaborative is starting 2014 with new community members, work, and exciting projects. Read below for more details! 
 
HOPE Project Leader Spotlight: Lianetta Taylor-Oliver, Healthy Corner Store Project Leader
This month, we would like to recognize Lianetta Taylor-Oliver for her contributions to our collaborative.

Lianetta Taylor-Oliver, Healthy Corner Store Project Leader

Lianetta was first introduced to HOPE Collaborative when she attended HOPE's food justice workshop series at Praise Fellowship in September 2013. While contributing her time and efforts at HOPE, Lianetta learned about disparities in food access across different neighborhoods and the ways those disparities affect the health of communities. She got a deeper understanding of sociopolitical issues throughout Oakland and wanted to be involved with HOPE's work to improve food choices in underserved neighborhoods.

 

As one of the Healthy Corner Store Project Leaders, Lianetta plays an instrumental part in transforming corner stores to healthier stores by bridging the gaps between the corner stores, residents, and community partners. She has enjoyed conducting store assessments and feels proud to be a part of the transformation process from the store selection to store makeover. From this leadership role, Lianetta has developed skills in human relations, group facilitation, outreach, research, public speaking, and community engagement.

 

Working with HOPE has given Lianetta the opportunity to be a part of a collaborative, the National Healthy Corner Store Initiative, and food justice. Lianetta hopes to be more involved in community health and wellness and nutritional disciplines. Lianetta plans to continue working with HOPE for food justice and to transform Oakland neighborhoods so that we can all work, live, and play in a healthy community.

 

Support of Urban Agriculture in Oakland

Ever wondered what it would be like if there was food instead of garbage growing in all the vacant lots in Oakland? This year, California instated AB 551 for urban property owners to turn their blighted, empty lots into community gardens or urban farms with a tax incentive. AB 551, also known as the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act, gives cities and counties the option to establish zones to promote urban agriculture through reduced property tax on vacant land. Cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles have already allowed residents to enter into the 5-year AB 551 contract.

 

HOPE Collaborative is happy for this state-wide victory and recognize there is still much to be done to remove barriers to urban agriculture in Oakland. For the past few years, HOPE, along with many other food and urban agriculture groups in Oakland, have been hoping for policy changes at the city level to make it easier for Oakland residents to grow food and sell the food they grow. Since the approval of AB551, there is renewed attention on urban agriculture and an opportunity to create change. It is an exciting moment to engage in advocacy efforts.  

 

To find out how to plug into this reinvigorated effort, please contact Esperanza Pallana, OFPC Director at epallana@oaklandfood.org or (415) 412-0585.

 

Bringing a FEEST to Your Table
Do you like to cook? Want to try a little improvisational cooking with our Youth Action Board members? This year, the Youth Action Board is looking to cook up a FEEST with other youth leaders.

Oakland has a plethora of youth engaged in transforming the community. Our youth leaders want to build a deeper connection across youth leadership groups, drop some knowledge on food justice and learn about what's going down in Oakland. Come cook with us while exercising your creativity and building community.

Sign up by sending an email to youthactionboard@hopecollaborative.net.

 

Training of Trainers in 2014

HOPE Collaborative's Community Engagement program develops the leadership of community members to work towards food justice and active living efforts; increase community input into HOPE's work and process, which we hope will lead to increased community ownership; and support community residents in accessing locally grown, healthy food and opportunities to engage in more active living. Our main strategies for achieving our goals are leadership training, projects to build capacity (providing opportunities and resources for community participation in HOPE activities), internal leadership opportunities, and leadership opportunities in the broader Oakland community.

 

HOPE Collaborative will be working with Leadership Incorporated on a leadership training series for community members, a "Training of Trainers". Upon completion of the leadership training series, participants will be able to serve as leaders within HOPE and at allied organizations, develop skills needed to serve in leadership roles within HOPE, develop a "practicum" for community members to put their learning into action, and provide concrete facilitation tools for community members to use.

 

This advanced training series is open to those who have participated in a HOPE Leadership Institute, food justice workshop series, or similar training, or those who have experience participating in HOPE's other work. The series is expected to begin in March 2014; exact dates and times will be posted soon. If interested in participating in HOPE's Training of Trainers, please RSVP to info@hopecollaborative.net.

 

Stay tuned for more updates from the HOPE Collaborative. You can also visit us at www.hopecollaborative.net, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to find updates.
 

Like us on Facebook Follow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedIn 

 


Since
rely,
HOPE Collaborative
Join Our Mailing List
In This Issue
HOPE Project Leader Spotlight: Lianetta Taylor-Oliver
Support of Urban Agriculture in Oakland
Bringing A FEEST to Your Table
Training of Trainers in 2014
Upcoming Events
 
Oakland Food Policy Council meeting on Thursday, January 16 from 4:30-7:30pm at 1000 Broadway, Suite 500, Room B

School Food FOCUS National Gathering 2014
at The Kaiser Center and The Cathedral Event Center on February 6-8, 2014. Register here.

Every Saturday from 9:30am-2pm, get fresh and healthy produce in West Oakland at the Freedom Farm Stand behind Brother's Kitchen (300 San Pablo)
Get Involved!

Donate  

 

Become a member

 

Intern

 

Employment Opportunities  

 

� 2014 HOPE Collaborative

 

221 Oak St. Ste. D, Oakland, CA 94607 | Office: (510) 444-4133 | Fax: (510) 444-4819

 HOPE is a project of The Tides Center