Food Justice Coalition

DIRECT OUTREACH PROGRAM: FOOD JUSTICE COALITION CREATED AND DISTRIBUTED 17,109 NUTRITIOUS PREPARED MEALS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HUNGER. MEALS WERE GIVEN AWAY AT ZERO COST TO RECIPIENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AS WELL AS TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HUNGER. WITH THE HELP OF OVER 600 VOLUNTEERS AND 34 COMMUNITY PARTNERS INCLUDING FOR PROFIT AND NONPROFIT ENTITIES, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE IN APPROXIMATELY 5,000 POUNDS OF DONATED CLOTHING, SHOES, HYGIENE KITS, MASKS, HAND SANITIZER, AND OTHER GEAR. THESE ITEMS WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS SALT LAKE COUNTY TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. FREE LUNCH PROGRAM: ON JULY 14TH 2022, FOOD JUSTICE COALITION LAUNCHED THE FREE LUNCH PROGRAM. DESPITE MANY INTERRUPTIONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY SERVE 260 MEALS ACROSS 52 HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY. UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE DATA, WE LEARNED THE FOLLOWING. THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD REQUESTED 5 MEALS, EQUIVALENT TO A SAVINGS OF 64.65 PER HOUSEHOLD. THE LOWEST REPORTED FOOD BUDGET WAS 100 PER MONTH FOR A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THIS YEAR DROVE UP FOOD PRICES, PROVING FOOD JUSTICE COALITIONS FREE PREPARED MEALS ARE A VITAL SOURCE OF FOOD SECURITY FOR PARTICIPANTS OF THIS PROGRAM. THROUGH QUALITATIVE DATA, WE LEARNED THE FOLLOWING: 11.7% OF PARTICIPANTS ARE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY, 28.3% ARE STUDENTS, 56.1% ARE HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN, 59% ARE SEVERELY FOOD INSECURE, 67.7% ARE FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS. FOOD EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT: IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NONPROFIT SPY HOP, FOOD JUSTICE COALITION CREATED AND TAUGHT A 5 MONTH LONG CURRICULUM ON FOOD ACCESS TO STUDENTS AGES 10-12 FROM A PREDOMINANTLY LATIN AND PACI?CA CHARTER SCHOOL ON THE WESTSIDE. STUDENTS LEARNED HANDS-ON COOKING TECHNIQUES, RECIPES FROM VARIOUS CULTURES, AN OVERVIEW OF URBAN AGRICULTURE, CULINARY ANTHROPOLOGY, LOCAL AGRICULTURE, AND MORE. FOOD JUSTICE COALITION ORGANIZED AND HOSTED 10 INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT EVENTS. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED FILM SCREENINGS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, COMMUNITY SOCIALS, COMMUNITY DINNERS, AND COOKING CLASSES, TO EDUCATE ON THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD ACCESS AND IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. FREE NUTRITIOUS FOOD WAS PROVIDED TO EVENT PARTICIPANTS. ADDITIONALLY, FOOD JUSTICE COALITION PARTNERS WITH THE CITY OF SALT LAKE AS A PROVIDER DURING THEIR MONTHLY RESOURCE FAIRS SERVING INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. WE PROVIDE FRESHLY PREPARED NUTRITIOUS MEALS, WATER, SURVIVAL GEAR, CLOTHING, AND OTHER RESOURCES AS AVAILABLE. IN 2022, WE PARTICIPATED IN A TOTAL OF EIGHT RESOURCE FAIRS AS THE SOLE OPTION FOR FOOD.