Central Community Partners: Community Leadership

by webster s. walker, Community Outreach Administrator

Our 2015 Central Community Partners are flexing their muscles, growing new leaders rooted in food justice and cooperation. Please join us in supporting our community Partners; here is an update on what they're serving up!

Taste International After School Culinary Program

Each time I come to the program I learn so many new skills, it makes me more confident and I’m excited for the next class!

- 2015 Taste International participant

Above: Taste International 2015 participants. Photo: Taste International Culinary After School Program

Taste International is holding an Open House at the Co‑op! Join us on Friday, September 4, at 6 p.m. in our Rochdale Room to learn about this amazing food justice curriculum. Taste International was started by Chef Ariel Bangs to inspire youth leadership, commitment, and job skills through nutrition education, hands-on urban gardening, and cooking and sharing fantastic international cuisine together! Know any high schoolers or middle schoolers who might eat this up? Learn more at tasteinternationculinaryprogram.wordpress.com, communityartscreate.org, or come to the Open House… for a taste!

Community Alliance for Global Justice

I’m a member of CAGJ because this organization walks the talk. Leadership and membership practice their ideals. I learn something every time I go to or read about an event. CAGJ is inclusive, and effective at both grassroots and worldwide organizing.

- CAGJ member testimonial

9th Annual Strengthening Local Economies Everywhere Dinner. Photo: Community Alliance for Global Justice

CAGJ held its 9th annual Strengthening Local Economies Everywhere fundraising dinner and celebration of food justice organizing this year! On Saturday, August 1, at University Christian Church in the U-District, SLEE featured Dean Jackson, the founder of Hilltop Urban Gardens in Tacoma. They talked about how being trans-identified intersects with and informs their work for food justice, racial justice, and economic justice—scintillating stuff from a true local hero! Learn more about CAGJ at cagj.org.

Beacon Food Forest

People are drawn to [BFF], especially young people, because it’s offering a vision—no, enacting a vision—of sharing and kindness, and caring.

- BFF co-founder Jackie Cramer

Beacon Food Forest April 2015 work party. Photo: Jonathan H. Lee, Subtledream Photography

Dig into real shared work to grow a food forest and connect communities. Seriously, you should get to a BFF work party, held on the third Saturday of every month! Three miles south of Central Co‑op on Beacon Hill, BFF draws upward of a hundred participants to its work parties, with multiple learning and doing opportunities in designing, building, and maintaining a community-owned food landscape in the middle of the city. Lunch is provided! Visit beaconfoodforest.org, or just show up at BFF from 10am to 2pm. for their next work party on September 19.

Central Co-op Community Outreach

Community is the soil that sustains our Co-op! Learn more about how we give back and pay it forward through our Community Partnerships and Community Donations and Fundraising programs.

A version of this article appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of the Central Register.

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Date: Saturday August 29, 2015

Category: Community

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