Stories of Hope:
Community Resilience During Dire Times
2020 has indeed been a tumultuous year for the entire world. As COVID-19 spread around the globe, community efforts to strengthen local food systems proved critical for surviving the pandemic’s effects. CAN’s partners have exuded hope and resilience during these trying times and have mitigated health risks, financial strain, and misinformation impacting small farmers, farm working families, and essential workers in Mexico, Nicaragua, and California. 
CAN’s Growing Justice (GJ) Program in Watsonville, CA, exemplifies how a community of engaged youth, farmworkers, and community gardeners responded to urgent needs for access to healthy and culturally-relevant food at the start of the pandemic. In March when the lockdown took place, the GJ Youth Team coordinated an emergency seed exchange as the shelter-in-place order was enacted. At the time it was unclear if the garden gates were going to remain open so the community decided to start these seeds at home. Once it was determined safe to use the community gardens—they steered their energy in that direction transplanting their corn, beans, squash, and peppers. Their collective efforts have been successful, yielding organic produce for over six months for the community!
In late summer, California’s wildfires once again impacted the GJ Youth Team’s endeavors. Poor air quality and COVID-affected community members limited established rotations for garden care. CAN monitored air quality and worked with the GJ Youth Team to ensure the harvest. Through sheer determination and ongoing solidarity the community continues to thrive. Planting and nurturing the garden restored the community’s ability to take care of themselves and their collective power.
Please follow our end-of-year campaign during the coming weeks as we share how these examples of hope and community resilience continue to build the world we know is possible, even during dire times. We ask you to join CAN and our network of supporters to ensure justice and food sovereignty in 2021 and beyond. Every dollar you contribute will be doubled in value!
Banner photo © Diana Caballero