An Equitable Approach to Food Banking

Transcription

1 An Equitable Approach to Food Banking How to Build Access, Opportunity and Advancement, Inside and Out California Association of Food Banks Conference May 1, 2017 Presenter: Megan Newell-Ching

2 Oregon Food Bank 160+ staff 4 branch locations 17 PDOs 37 counties 970+ food assistance programs with 700+ organizational partners

3 Oregon Food Bank Demographics Staff/Board 15% of staff identify as people of color 29% of OFB board identify as people of color 0% of executive leadership identify as people of color People Served (pantries) White: 74% Hispanic: 13% African American: 3% American Indian or Native Alaskan: 3% Asian: 2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 1% Mixed Race: 4%

4 Beyond the Can OFB s Mission To eliminate hunger and its root causes because no one should be hungry In order to end hunger, we believe we must also address the root causes of hunger through public policy, nutrition and garden education, and public awareness.

5 Why Equity, Why Now?

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11 Our Equity Journey

12 Timeline 2014 Strategic Plan Launch Staff engagement on internal culture Assessment and determination of underserved areas & populations 2015 Equity Team formed 3-day all staff training Regular staff dialogues Partner Alignment Initiative & Link2Feed Launch School Pantry Focus Groups 2016 Equity Subcommittees Equity Lens completed Board training Organizational Equity Assessment Community Equity Coordinator hired Barrier removal pilot for education programs 2017 Equity Statement approved by board Formal Equity Planning Increasing FTE for internal equity External communications launch Culturally specific farm/garden partnerships launch

13 Lessons Learned Leadership buy-in is key Engage the board early in the process Plan to capture staff momentum posttraining On-going training for new employees It will feel hard and you will make mistakes, keep going!

14 The Daily Work is Shifting perspective and slowing down processes to make more space for reflection, community validation and thoughtful action.

15 At OFB this looks like Tools and support for staff & board Equity Statement Equity Lens Required and optional learning/engagement opportunities Relationship building Shifting budget and work plan priorities On-going crossdepartment/crossfunctional teams and initiatives E-Team Inclusive Culture HR Communication (internal/external) Staff capacity (FTE dedicated to equity & inclusion)

16 Equity Statement

17 What is an Equity Lens?

18 Equity Lens

19 What is an Equity Lens? A quality improvement tool used for planning, decision-making, and resource allocation that ideally leads to more racially equitable policies, program delivery and ultimately more equitable outcomes for our clients. At its core, it is a set of principles, reflective questions, and processes that functions at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels by: proactively seeking to eliminate inequities and advance equitable solutions; shifting the way we make decisions and think about our work; and identifying clear goals and objectives, measurable outcomes for successful implementation

20 OFB Equity Lens Key Questions In considering your decision, what are you hoping to achieve? How will you intentionally involve a diverse set of stakeholders, including those who may be impacted? How might your beliefs and biases impact this decision? How does this decision advance racial equity? How will the final decision be shared?

21 Equity in Action at OFB

22 Where is equity showing up? Advocacy: client engagement, supporting non-food policy work Agency Relations: new partnerships, agency segmentation, agency education Education Programs: culturally specific and translated curricula, barrier removal to program participation, culturally specific partners Operations: culturally appropriate foods, increased capacity for underserved areas (delivery, etc.) HR: staff training, recruitment, hiring & onboarding, dedicated equity FTE

23 Agency Relations Agency Training Series Partner Alignment Initiative (agency segmentation) Translation & Interpretation Client engagement & leadership development

24 Garden Programs New Garden Partners: First Foods Garden, Mudbone Grown, Black Food Sovereignty Council Seed-to-Supper culturally specific curriculum translation Barrier removal pilot (childcare, interpretation, transportation) Spanish speaking volunteer shifts Mural designed by incarcerated Seed-to Supper participants

25 What have we worked on outside of food policy? What are the non-food policies we have supported: Minimum Wage Increase Housing Emergency Housing Funds Portland Housing Bond Campaign Just Cause eviction legislation Affordable Housing Payday Lending Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Earned Income Tax Credit/Child tax credit Transportation Affordable Healthcare

26 RESOURCES Coalition of Communities of Color Protocol for Culturally Responsive Organizations OFB Equity Statement Meyer Memorial Trust- DEI Resources Nonprofit Quarterly- DEI Article Series Center for Equity & Inclusion Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon Equity Commitment

27 Contact Information Megan Newell-Ching, Associate Director Partnerships & Programs