October 2013 Newsletter


We are gearing up for Fall activities. Check out our summer highlights and Fall news below.
 
HOPE Project Leader Spotlight: Esther Goolsby, Elmhurst Neighborhood Leader
Esther Goolsby, Elmhurst Neighborhood Leader
This month, we would like to recognize Esther Goolsby for her contributions to our collaborative.

Esther first got involved with HOPE's built environment work in 2012 after attending a neighborhood planning workshop in her neighborhood, the Elmhurst. As a resident of 82nd Ave. for the past 21 years and neighborhood activist, Esther was interested in mapping and planning as an approach to improving her neighborhood. After long involvement with her local Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to fight crime in the neighborhood, she became inspired through HOPE's neighborhood planning approach to envision what she and her neighbors wanted to see and start to create these changes collectively.

 

As Esther started to map the neighborhood with HOPE, she started to see how her neighborhood compared to other areas and wondered, "Why can't we have a healthy green neighborhood too?". Esther decided to start with her block and then work with others to help them change their areas too. She started planting and saw that she could grow things in her yard.

 

On Earth Day this year, Esther launched Changing OUR Grounds, a neighborhood beautification project in which she engages residents to green and revitalize city-owned planter strips in front of their homes. Over 100 people came out to plant 50 trees on Earth Day, in partnership with Communities for a Better Environment, Urban Releaf, Acta non Verba, and other groups. Esther officially adopted her block through a city program and was awarded a grant to grow this work, which she has actively been working on with HOPE for the past several months. She says, "As someone that used to be 'part of the problem,' it has been inspiring to work with others to be part of the solution. We have to want something better."

 

Ongoing Food Justice Efforts in Oakland
Food Justice workshop co-facilitators Danielle Douglas (left) and Virginia Hall (right) 

HOPE community members, Danielle Douglas and Virginia Hall, recently led a 6-week food justice workshop series in their Oakland communities. These workshops are a vehicle to engage a broader base of residents in food justice issues and in HOPE Collaborative's work.

 

Danielle coordinated and facilitated the workshop series in partnership with Praise Fellowship Ministries in East Oakland where 15-20 participants attended each session. Virginia supported food justice efforts in partnership with St. Mary's Center in West Oakland where up to 10 participants attended each session. At the last session, participants left inspired to take action to improve food access in their communities.

 

Currently, HOPE is working with UC Cooperative Extension on translating the food justice curriculum into Spanish and planning a series for mono-lingual Spanish speakers that will take place in East Oakland in the coming months. Keep a lookout for an announcement about the Spanish workshop series soon! For more information, please contact Mario Balcita at Mario@hopecollaborative.net.

 
HOPE Seeks Community Partners for a Healthy Grocery Program

HOPE Collaborative is looking to partner with community-based organizations to bring healthy food to your neighborhood.  This program will be a comprehensive food retailer improvement initiative targeted at Oakland corner stores to provide Oakland flatland residents access to high-quality fresh and prepared food options.  

 

We are looking for community partners who have a strong presence in a flatland neighborhood, positive relationships with a large base of neighborhood residents, run programming in or have a focus in health, nutrition, and food justice and/or economic and small business development, want to work with stores and residents to get better food into the neighborhood, and are interested in participating in a community collaborative.   

 

HOPE can offer support including stipends for community members to work with select organizations and HOPE, mini-grants to select organizations to partner with us to implement this program in your neighborhood, technical assistance and consultancy services to stores enrolled in the program, community education and outreach materials to support the program, training on how to implement education and outreach tools, development of a policy incentive program and creation of a learning and support community to support program sustainability and success. 

 

Healthy Corner Store Community Partners Applications are due to Angela Hadwin at Angela@hopecollaborative.net by Fri., October 25.  

 

HOPE Seeks Trainer for Leadership Training Series

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 seeks consultant(s) to develop, implement, and evaluate an advanced leadership training series for community members, a "Training of Trainers." The goals of the training are to: 1. Build a pipeline of leadership for community members participating in HOPE Collaborative to serve as leaders within HOPE and at allied organizations; 2. Develop skills needed to serve in leadership roles within HOPE (ie- Action Team or Committee co-chair roles; Facilitator for HOPE Leadership Institutes); 3. Develop a "practicum" for community members to put their learning into action; 4. Provide concrete facilitation tools for community members to use.  

 

Training for Trainers RFP due Wed., November 6 to Sabrina Wu at Sabrina@hopecollaborative.net by 12pm. For more information, click here and to view the RFP, click here

 

Growing Healthy and Sustainable Food Businesses in Oakland

HOPE Collaborative is creating community driven and sustainable environment change for Oakland residents through the enhancement of local food systems, small business, and workforce development opportunities. As part of this work, HOPE has partnered with Inner City Advisors and Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) to provide capacity building to food entrepreneurs seeking to build their projects towards sustainable business models for food and economic justice in low-income communities of color. ICA is using their 8 Factors Framework to provide individualized, hands-on assistance to start up or small scale food entrepreneurs to scale up their business and better meet food needs in underserved markets.

 

The first such project is the creation of a financial feasibility plan for 25th Street Collective's (25C) and Oakland Food Policy Council's food cart rental and entrepreneurship program. Targeted at small scale mobile food businesses with limited start-up capital, this program lowers start-up costs through provision of a rental food cart and addresses other barriers to entry by providing clear information about how to obtain required documentation and access to start up and operating capital to cover permitting, certification, licensing, insurance, and equipment costs.

 

If you or someone you know has a food microenterprise that could benefit from hands-on assistance in business planning, health and business permitting and regulations, food production, workforce development and/or general legal issues, please contact Sabrina Wu at Sabrina@hopecollaborative.net or 510-444-4291.

 
Adopting Healthy Habits
Display of sugar in different sized drinks. Copyright (c) 2012 by Fred Mogul.

HOPE Collaborative partnered with Alameda County Public Health Department - Nutrition Services and Generation Community Wellness to pass Healthy Snack and Beverage Guidelines at youth-serving organizations in Oakland.

 

HOPE convened youth and adult allies from HOPE's Youth Action Board, Oakland Food Connection, Urban Peace Movement, and Youth Uprising to learn about ways organizations can shift their policies and practices to create a healthier food and beverage environment for the youth and staff with whom they work. Through provision of healthier foods and beverages, we hope to promote consumption of these healthier options and minimize consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy foods and beverages. Participating organizations also expressed interest in passing Healthy Movement Guidelines to promote increased physical activity among the youth they serve. HOPE successfully worked with all the interested organizations to successfully adopt the guidelines.

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

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Sincerely,

HOPE Collaborative
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In This Issue
HOPE Project Leader Spotlight: Esther Goolsby
Ongoing Food Justice Efforts in Oakland
HOPE Seeks Consultant for Leadership Training Series
Growing Healthy and Sustainable Food Businesses in Oakland
Adopting Healthy Habits
Upcoming Events
 
Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project celebrates Food Day on Wed., October 23rd from 1:30-5:30pm at Tassafaronga Recreation Center (975 85th Ave., Oakland)

Join Oakland Food Policy Council for a screening of A Place at the Table followed by a panel discussion at the New Parkway Theater on Thurs., October 24th from 6:30-9pm.
Tickets available for purchase here.


Healthy Corner Store
Community Partners Application due on Fri., 10/25.

HOPE Training of Trainers RFP due on Wed., 11/6 by 12pm.

Local CBO's launch Oakland Edible Parks Program. Attend free info sessions and BBQ at the park. For more information, visit:

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)

Oakland Food Connection
has launched their farm stand. Get fresh produce every Saturday from 10am-2pm at 7631 MacArthur Blvd.

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� 2013 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