CELEBRATING THE MOMENT PAGE 3 | AUSTIN EATS : A TIMELINE PAGE 4 FROM A FOOD DESERT TO A FOOD OASIS PAGE 7 THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS. August 31, 2022 Distributed by AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3 How the community is revitalizing the food ecosystem to sow and grow a healthier Austin THE FIGHT FOR EQUITYFOOD Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan legacy investors:
2 Austin Weekly News • August 31, 2022 AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3 ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers CHAIR Larry Williams Broker, State Farm Insurance VICE-CHAIR Angela Waller Community & Government Relations Director, Advocate Aurora Health SECRETARY Bradly Johnson Director of External Affairs, BUILD Inc. TREASURER LaDarius Curtis Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Darnell Shields Austin Coming Together Directors Sharon Morgan Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools Reverend Reginald E. Bachus Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church Tenisha Jones Senior Director of Strategy & Operations, West Side United Reginald Little Mortgage Loan Originator, Fifth Third Bank Dawn Ferencak Senior Marketing Strategist, Chicago Parent Deborah Williams-Thurmond Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc. Ruth Kimble Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network Jerrod Williams Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court Max Komnenich Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative In Memoriam BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Macnamara 1937–2020 FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR Mildred Wiley 1955–2019 A House in Austin Academy of BecauseBeatBeAustinAustinAustinAchievementScholasticChildcareProvidersNetworkCommunityFamilyCenterWeeklyNews(GrowingCommunityMedia)StrongFamiliestheStreetsChicagoICare Bethel New Life Beyond Hunger BUILD Inc. By The Hand Club For Kids CatholicCara Charities Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures Chicago Community Loan Fund City of Refuge Defy Ventures Illinois Erikson Institute Friends of the Children Friendship InstituteIFFi.c.starsHousingGreaterofDevelopmentCommunityCorp.AustinWestTownCommunityDevelopmentProjectForwardforNonviolenceChicago Jane Addams OAI,NewMercyMaryvilleMaryManufacturingLegalLearningKRAKidsCorporationResourceFirstChicagoWestsideAmericanJobCenterEdgeTutoring(fkaClusterTutoring)AidChicago(fkaLAF)RenaissanceShyreseDaycareAcademyHousingLakefrontMomsInc. Oak Park Regional Housing PCCOpenCenterBooksCommunity Wellness RenaissanceProjectCenterExplorationSocial Services, Sarah’sInc. Inn South Austin St.St.AssociationNeighborhoodJosephServicesLeonard’sMinistries Stone YouthWorldvisionWestWestsideVOCELUICTowersTheTheTheDevelopmentCommunityCorporationCatalystSchoolsJourneyForwardNorthAvenueDistrict,Inc.ofExcellenceJaneAddamsCollegeofSocialWorkHealthAuthoritySideForwardGuidanceACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets. Leadership Darnell Shields Executive Director Deirdre Bates Director of Operations Andrew Born Strategic Advisor *Also part of the ACT Leadership Team Strategic Initiatives Sandra Diaz* Service AustinEnhancementDeliveryManager,CommunityHub Janelle Martin Austin Community Hub Specialist Emone Moore Engagement Coordinator, Austin Community Hub Dollie Sherman Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub Aaliyah Phillips Engagement Associate, Austin Community Hub JeVon D. Moore* Planning & Investment Manager, Austin Forward. Together. Ethan Ramsay Lead AustinOrganizer,Forward. Together. Grace Cooper Project Specialist, Austin Forward. Together. Natalie Goodin Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator Nicholas Galassini Micro Market Recovery Program Intern Marketing Development& Alicia Plomin* Director of Marketing & Development Scott Prywitch Marketing & Development Coordinator Maria Romero Luther Marketing & Development Associate ACT STAFF
Austin Weekly News • August 31, 2022 3 AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3
Austin Eats initiative was born out of the Community Narrative (CN) issue area in the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-oflife plan, which outlines the community’s goal to revitalize the image and spirit of Austin by creating environments that foster health and wellness and promote healthier food choices. This community-led effort was supported by the collaboration of the Christopher Family Foundation, Lumpkin Family Foundation, The Builder’s Initiative, Food:Land:Opportunity, and the Walter Mander Foundation. These funders, inspired by AFT and Austin Eats, came together to form the Austin Fresh Fund in an effort to explore what it would mean to support greater access to healthy food in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side—a key strategy of AFT. They pooled a $1 million pledge in grant funds and awarded resources to several organizations involved in Austin Eats
• Frequent fresh food community markets serve 500+ Austin families
• A robust community calendar houses daily events providing resources for food access
• A network of 25+ community gardens are working together to activate and connect their spaces
• 15 gardening days each summer attract a wide variety of volunteers from within and outside the community
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These accomplishments are just the beginning of what our community partners can create to improve food access and equity in Austin. We know that the commitment demonstrated and actions taken thus far cannot be overlooked. They must be recognized. Although the road ahead is long, we are walking in the right direction, together.
———————— 55.4% of Austin residents have easy access to fruits and vegetables* Austin is often referred to as a ‘food desert,’ a term that does not accurately reflect the heart of the issue. Rather, ‘food apartheid’ is a better fit given the longstanding history of inequality, segregation, systemic barriers, and disinvestment pervading the Austin Socommunity.howdoes this food apartheid impact the lives of Austin residents? Before COVID-19, nearly 4 out of 10 households were making stressful tradeoff decisions between food, healthcare, transportation, housing, and education, and now the pandemic has greatly exacerbated these difficulties. In addition, Austin residents spend 85% of their disposable income in Oak Park and other neighboring areas. Access to healthy food options should be the right of every single American. Yet unfortunately, this does not hold true for many. To revitalize our community, we must change the system from within. The time is now to make change. Fortunately, the work has already begun. In response to these prominent challenges, the Austin community came together and established Austin Eats. This holistic approach to the entire food ecosystem brings together organizations already working to promote healthier food choices across Austin and creates an infrastructure geared toward food access. To accomplish this, Austin’s entire food continuum needs to be considered, from community gardens, food pantries, and grocery stores, to food cooperatives, culinary entrepreneurs, and Therestaurants.
• A coordinated food delivery system is being developed to serve Austin’s senior residents
*Source: Austin Forward Together quality-of-life
By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together For generations, residents of Chicago’s Austin community have been challenged to have easy access to what others might consider basic resources. The community has a variety of liquor stores, mini-marts, and gas stations, yet fresh food and healthier options are often difficult to come by.
Celebrating the moment
• 22 community organizations are partnered with Austin Eats to support and lead its implementation throughout the community
The support received from these organizations has been instrumental in facilitating all that Austin Eats sets out to accomplish. The collaboration is palpable. It’s visible. We know that without it, our desire to sow and grow a healthier community simply could not be sustained. At this moment in time, we have a lot of progress to celebrate:
• A bi-annual film screening series promotes healthy food education
Austin Coming Together was awarded $250,000 in 2020 which was disbursed over two years. In the first year, a total of $128,230 was invested to support a plan to respond to increased food insecurity that was exacerbated by the pandemic. These efforts resulted in the Austin Eats Initiative, a collaborative focused on strengthening and sustaining Austin’s food access infrastructure. In 2021, the remaining investment was allocated to the following Austin Eats partners: $22,500 $12,130 $6,200 ACT MARKETING WORKING GROUP $20,000 $12,500 plan
4 Austin Weekly News • August 31, 2022 AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3
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A Timeline
2020
The Austin Fresh Fund was created after funders recognized how the critical importance of addressing food insecurity aligned with Austin Forward. Together. plan actions in the Community Narrative issue area. n ACT was awarded $250,000 through the Austin Fresh Fund to be used over 2 years. This investment helped build the foundation for the Austin Eats initiative to be created to address the immediate and long-term inequities around the food access ecosystem in Austin.
The Austin Eats initiative was developed to help coordinate existing efforts around strengthening Austin’s food access ecosystem and building a healthier Austin. Here are some highlights throughout the process:
n Support from the Austin Fresh Fund was leveraged to attract investments,additionalincluding a $30,000 grant from Howard Brown Health.
foodoutofwaswereotherdistributionstoorganizationscommunity-basedlikeACTestablishpop-upfoodinAustinandcommunitiesthatmostimpacted.ACTabletoenlisthundredsvolunteerstohelpgiveover750,000poundsoftoAustinfamilies.
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increased need for emergency food access. In response, the Greater Chicago Food Depository reached out to
n Fresh food markets were established in Austin. The indoor Soul City Community Market and the outdoor Austin Town Hall City Market are both coordinated by Austin Eats partner Forty Acres Fresh Market and give opportunities for Austin residents to shop for quality fresh produce at affordable prices. The Austin Fresh Fund helped expand the Soul City Community Market’s reach, attract new vendors, and boost advertising.
2022 NOTABLE LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY 2021
n In a space where grocery stores are few and far between, Forty Acres Fresh Market leveraged seed funding from the Austin Fresh Fund to help secure a $2.5 million City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant for the development of a full-service grocery store located in the Soul City Corridor on Chicago Avenue.
To learn more about the initiative, see the list of partners, get local food resources, or view a food-related event calendar, visit AustinComingTogether.org/AustinEats
The opportunity to continue extending our mission and model in a hyper-local, grassroots way is at the heart of how we envision our work as “living” projects rather than just the sharing of information and ideas.
ANA GARCIA DOYLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ONE EARTH COLLECTIVE AND ONE OF CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
n $18,750 from the Clara Lionel Foundation by way of West Side United and Live Healthy Chicago allowed Jehovah Jireh #1 Outreach Ministry and Hope Community Church Food Pantry to purchase a second van for food delivery, advance their emergency food access program towards creating a brick-and-mortar base in 2022.
Austin Weekly News • August 31, 2022 5 AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3
n The Mildred Wiley Wellness Hub was made possible through the initial Austin Eats investment and will open on Bethel New Life’s nine-acre campus. The Hub will house a horticulture center with a garden and kitchen. Uses for the rest of the Hub building are yet to be determined, but Bethel New Life president Sharif Walker assures that the community will have a say in those decisions.
n With the support of the Austin Fresh Fund, One Earth Collective has been able to employ its unique “awareness-to-action” model in the form of a food-based educational film series. Since the series launched, hundreds have participated in the programming which includes various interactive elements such as cooking demos, post-film discussions, garden tours, and more!
6 Austin Weekly News • August 31, 2022 AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 3 TASKNarrativeCommunityFORCECHAIRS Briana Shields Briana Janeé Arts Kenneth Varner Healthy CampaignSchools Dearra Williams Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS Lasondra Kern Community Resident Suzanne McBride Austin Talks Michael Romain Austin Weekly News Alicia Plomin Austin Coming Together Cindy SchneiderGray Spaces-n-Places TASKDevelopmentEconomicFORCECHAIRS Jerrod Williams South AssociationNeighborhoodAustin Heather Sattler ConsultantDevelopmentCommunity STRATEGY LEADS Erica Staley RenaissanceManufacturing Emily Peters Jane Addams Resource Corporation Tina Augustus Chicago West Side Chamber of Commerce Roxanne Charles West Side Forward TASKEducationFORCECHAIRS Crystal Bell Ella Flagg (retired)ElementaryYoungSchool Charles Anderson Michele Clark High School STRATEGY LEADS Ruth Kimble Austin ProvidersChildcareNetwork Madelyn James Austin ProvidersChildcareNetwork Pam Price Chicago Public Schools Cata Truss Community Resident Sean Schindl Kids First Chicago TASKHousingFORCE CHAIRS Athena Williams West HomeownershipCook Center Allison McGowan Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS Shirley Fields Hunters Realty Rosie Dawson Westside Health Authority Athena Williams West HomeownershipCook Center Public Safety TASK FORCE CHAIRS Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc. Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance STRATEGY LEADS Adam Alonso BUILD Inc. Edwina Hamilton BUILD Inc. Gina Young Catholic Charities Bertha Purnell Mothers OnA Mission28 Jose Abonce The Policing Project Ruby Taylor Taproots, Inc. TASKEmpowermentYouthFORCECHAIRS Carmen Scott-Boria BUILD Inc. D’elegance Lane Community Stakeholder STRATEGY LEADS Deonna Hart BUILD Inc. Aisha Oliver Lurie HospitalChildren’sofChicago Helen Slade Territory NFP Dollie Sherman Austin Coming Together TASKEngagementCivicFORCECHAIRS Williams-ThurmondDeborah SystemsHabilitativeInc. STRATEGY LEADS Arnold Bearden South AssociationNeighborhoodAustin(SANA) Crystal Gardner Protest to the Polls Sharif Walker Bethel New Life INTERESTED IN JOINING AN IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE? Contact ACT’s Lead Organizer, Ethan Ramsay at 630.474.4016 or eramsay@austincomingtogether.org for more information Plan Leaders
