Sponsor Humanity Hubs/Food Security Empowerment Initiatives

Sponsor Humanity Hubs:

These community centers would serve as a safe place for people to gather, learn, and share.  They would provide connection and opportunities for people to share their gifts and meet their needs in innovative, creative ways. 

Our vision for these Hubs:

· A “community board” where people can advertise and offer their skills in the form of workshops, live performances, and other practices (e.g. dance, yoga, music, Capoeira, sustainability, spoken word). 

· A stage area for performances, and a space designed to hold dance and yoga classes. 

· An “energy exchange” board, where people can post the skills/talents they wish to offer in exchange for grocery and utility bill support. 

· A certified kitchen where people learn to cook, preserve excess fruits/veggies, and make tinctures and other natural medicine. 

 Food Security Empowerment Initiatives:

These outreach programs will teach people how to acquire and cook simple, inexpensive foods. Participants will be assisted in buying/learning to acquire bulk staples such as rice, oats, beans, flour, etc. and are taught how to store and prepare these foods. 

Participants will also receive education and empowerment to integrate fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables into their diets; we will connect low-income folks with small organic farms local to the outreach program who receive federal grants (or, as a long-term vision, grants from our organization) to provide low-income folks with fresh vegetables, meat, and dairy products. We can build relationships with local vendors at the farmer’s market to boost the program. 

Education also includes how to bake bread and preservation techniques such as canning excess fruits and veggies. The ultimate goal is that each Hub will have a certified kitchen dedicated to these practices.

This program has multiple benefits: 

· the improved quality of food will support good health 

· the food will cost less than a diet based in fast food 

· people will be empowered to cook for themselves 

· participants are being educated to learn a new skill 

· participants may feel increased sense of happiness and well-being because they are supporting themselves

· local farms are being supported.

“Community Gardens Initiative:” 

Sponsor Humanity will allocate funds to build infrastructure for community garden projects. Families/individuals are provided with the space and education to grow their own organic food. These community gardens would ideally be located at or very near Sponsor Humanity hubs. This initiative creates the following jobs for community members: 

· Garden Manager: order seeds and supplies, upkeep of equipment and tools, recruit/hire/manage staff

· Grounds Keeper: upkeep/care of land and garden plots

· Garden Coach/Educator: teach people how to grow food, answer questions, host educational events in which community members to learn how to grow and harvest their own food.

“Community Food Forest Initiative:” 

We will allocate funds to secure land in identified “food deserts” and plant/maintain fruit bushes and trees. This initiative creates the following jobs for community members:

· Garden Manager: order seeds, seedlings/transplants and supplies, upkeep of equipment and tools, recruit/hire/manage staff

· Groundskeeper: caretake land

· Food Forest Coach/Educator: teach people how to grow food, answer questions, host educational events for community members to learn how to grow and harvest their own food.

The Food Security Empowerment Initiative will begin in one location, where we will flesh out the details and learn through trial and error, research and development. As this initial location becomes stable, indicating success and potential for longevity, we will initiate new locations as resources allow.