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, VEGANFILIPINOFOOD.COM AND VEGANLAOFOOD.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 WITH A SUGGESTED DONATION OR FOR FREE.IN 2022, THE ORGANIZATION PUT UP GOT COLONIZATION? BILLBOARDS IN BOTH OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND MADISON, WISCONSIN. THESE BILLBOARDS REFERRED COMMUTERS TO GOTCOLONIZATION.COM, WHERE THEY CAN ORDER OUR FREE ONE GLASS AT A TIME BOOKLET. THE BOOKLET CONTAINS INFORMATION ON THE SUFFERING OF COWS AND GOATS IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM; AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON THE IMPACT ON THE WORKERS AND THE LEGACY OF COLONIZATION IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO RAN ADS IN NEWSPAPERS WITH THE SAME GOT COLONIZATION? SLOGAN IN TWO NEWSPAPERS IN MADISON, WHICH RESULTED IN ORDERING MORE THAN 5,000 OF THE BOOKLETS. ALSO, THE ORGANIZATION PRODUCED RECIPE VIDEOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. 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 HAD AN ON-LINE EVENTA VEGAN SPIN ON A COOKING SHOW CALLED CHOPPEDWHERE THREE VEGAN CHEFS MADE DISHES THAT WE WERE JUDGED FOR CREATIVITY, COMBINING INGREDIENTS, AND PLATING. THE EVENT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND EXPOSED VEGANS AND NON-VEGANS TO NEW RECIPES AND CHEFS AS WELL AS ALLOWING THOSE WHO LOVE COOKING SHOWS TO ENJOY WITHOUT THE ANIMAL SUFFERING.

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. SINCE 2015, THE ORGANIZATION HAS DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES, BACKPACKS, ETC. TO THE CHILDREN OF FARM WORKERS.IN 2022, THE ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTED BACKPACKS TO THREE LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA. 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; AS IT WILL BE REVIEWED AGAIN IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION STARTED TO LOOK INTO WHAT COULD BE DONE.

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 WHEN THEY ARE ASKED TO BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE ORGANIZATION THEN USES THESE REPORTS TO INFORM COMMUNITY GROUPS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS OF THEIR FINDINGS AND TO ENCOURAGE POLICY CHANGES AND ALSO TO HELP THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ON THE GROUND GET THE FUNDING TO SHOW HOW NECESSARY THEIR WORK IS. 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. WE ALSO COORDINATE AN EFFORT TO GET SAFEWAY (OWNED BY ALBERTSONS) TO DISCONTINUE A POLICY WHEREIN THEY PLACE RESTRICTIVE DEEDS ON THEIR FORMER PROPERTIES PREVENTING GROCERY STORES FROM MOVING IN FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. THE UNJUST POLICY CAN LEAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT A GROCERY STORE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. WE ALSO WORK TO PUSH FOR LIVING WAGES ACROSS CITIES, STATES, AND VARIOUS COMPANIES TO HELP CREATE EQUITY SO THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD HEALTHY AND FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.