Food Empowerment Project

FOOD EMPOWERMENT PROJECT SEEKS TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD BY RECOGNIZING THE POWER OF ONE'S FOOD CHOICES.

VEGANISM - THE ORGANIZATION WORKS TO PROMOTE ETHICAL VEGANISM THROUGH EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND BY PROVIDING TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE GO AND STAY VEGAN. THROUGH THE ORGANIZATIONS THREE SISTER WEBSITES: VEGANMEXICANFOOD.COM AND VEGANFILIPINOFOOD.COM, THEY HAVE A WIDE SELECTION OF FREE MEXICAN, FILIPINX AND LAO VEGAN RECIPES. EACH SITE PROVIDES DELICIOUS RECIPES, NOT ONLY FOR VEGANS BUT FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS THESE CUISINES, AND THESE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH (VEGANMEXICANFOOD.COM), IN ENGLISH AND TAGALOG (VEGANFILIPINOFOOD.COM) AND IN ENGLISH AND LAO (VEGANLAOFOOD.COM). ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION CREATES ACCOMPANYING PRINTED BOOKLETS THAT ARE FILLED WITH RECIPES AND OTHER INFORMATION AND THOSE INTERESTED CAN REQUEST COPIES OF THE BOOKLET FOR FREE.IN 2018, THE ORGANIZATION STARTED THEIR FIGHT FOR THE OCEAN EFFORT TO DO MORE FOR OUR OCEANS. IN HONOR OF DR. SYLVIA EARLES BIRTHDAY ON AUGUST 30, THE ORGANIZATION BEGAN DOING OCEAN CLEAN-UPS AROUND THE GLOBE. IN THE PAST, THE ORGANIZATION HELD A MONTHLY VIGIL OUTSIDE OF A CHICKEN SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN PETALUMA, CA. ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED THE ONE GLASS AT A TIME ANTI-DAIRY CAMPAIGN. ALL EVENTS THE ORGANIZATION HOSTS ARE VEGAN; AND THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ENCOURAGING OTHER JUSTICE GROUPS TO SERVE VEGAN FARE AT JOINT EVENTS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COORDINATES EVENTS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO FOCUS ON ANIMALS WHO ARE RAISED AND KILLED FOR FOOD (PRE-COVID).IN 2018, THE ORGANIZATION STARTED THEIR FIGHT FOR THE OCEAN EFFORT TO DO MORE FOR OUR OCEANS. IN HONOR OF DR. SYLVIA EARLES BIRTHDAY ON AUGUST 30, THE ORGANIZATION BEGAN DOING OCEAN CLEAN-UPS AROUND THE GLOBE. IN THE PAST, THE ORGANIZATION HELD A MONTHLY VIGIL OUTSIDE OF A CHICKEN SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN PETALUMA, CA. ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED THE ONE GLASS AT A TIME ANTI-DAIRY CAMPAIGN. ALL EVENTS THE ORGANIZATION HOSTS ARE VEGAN; AND THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ENCOURAGING OTHER JUSTICE GROUPS TO SERVE VEGAN FARE AT JOINT EVENTS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COORDINATES EVENTS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO FOCUS ON ANIMALS WHO ARE RAISED AND KILLED FOR FOOD (PRE-COVID).

FARM WORKER RIGHTS - THE ORGANIZATION WORKS TO ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF FARM WORKERS BY SUPPORTING CORPORATE, LEGISLATIVE, AND REGULATORY CHANGES. EACH YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION ORGANIZES AN ANNUAL SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE FOR THE CHILDREN OF FARM WORKERS. IN EARLY 2020, THE ORGANIZATION SPEARED A FOOD DRIVE TO HELP SUPPORT FARM WORKER FAMILIES WHO WERE HIT HARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. SINCE 2015, THE ORGANIZATION HAS DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES, BACKPACKS, ETC. TO THE CHILDREN OF FARM WORKERS. IN 2018, THE ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATED IN A COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN OVERTURNING CALIFORNIAS 50-MILE RULE THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN OF FARM WORKERS.

ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD - THE ORGANIZATION WORKS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SURVEY THE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS AND CONDUCTS FOCUS GROUPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES. THE ORGANIZATION THEN USES THESE REPORTS TO INFORM PUBLIC OFFICIALS OF THEIR FINDINGS AND TO ENCOURAGE POLICY CHANGES. THE ORGANIZATIONS WORK ON THE LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS OVER THE YEARS HAS ALLOWED THEM TO COLLABORATE WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS GOVERNMENTAL BODIES. THESE REPORTS ON ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS HAVE BEEN CITED BY THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AND ARE A RESOURCE FOR MANY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE. IN 2017, THE CITY OF SAN JOS, CA, AND THE CITY OF VALLEJO, CA, RECOGNIZED AND HONORED THE ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR VEGAN FOOD JUSTICE WORK, INCLUDING THEIR ACCESS WORK WITHIN THEIR CITIES. IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURG, CA, THE ORGANIZATION RECENTLY CARRIED OUT AN ASSESSMENT ON THE LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS AND PLANS TO RELEASE THE REPORT IN 2022. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO USES THEIR CORPORATE CAMPAIGN SHAME ON SAFEWAY TO PRESSURE SAFEWAY/ALBERTSONS TO CHANGE THEIR UNJUST POLICY THAT CAN LEAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT A GROCERY STORE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.