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SANTA FE YOUTH FOCUSED ORGANIZATION RECIEVES GRANT FROM THE CORPORATION
FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE - AN AMERICORPS PROGRAM
Grant will engage youth in building a sustainable and food secure
community while creating local jobs, improving access to local food for working
families in Santa Fe through food education, production and distribution
programs.
Frustrated
with high rates of child poverty, food insecurity, the growing threat of
climate change and lack of services for youth, Earth Care, a local non-profit youth
leadership organization decided to create the Youth Food Cadre Program. The
group formed the Santa Fe Food Project Coalition to support the Youth Food
Cadre and engage with partners in a broader scope of work to build a local food
system that meets the needs of youth, community, and the environment. They sought funding through AmeriCorps, a program
of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Recently it was
announced that Earth Care would receive a grant from AmeriCorps in the amount
of $130,000.
Lt.
Governor Diane D. Denish, who serves as Co-Chair of the New Mexico Commission
on Community Volunteerism that administers the grant, said: "Positive
education about food - what could be more important? Earth Care's Youth Food
Cadre Program will not only get more healthful food to working families but
will also teach young people the importance of high quality nutrition. This is
a program that will have a tremendous impact on our future."
The
Youth Food Cadre Program will empower and engage vulnerable
youth in developing good nutrition, healthy lifestyles and in solving
personal, community and environmental issues in integrated ways. Specifically,
the Youth Food Cadre will engage area youth ages 5-25 in the local food system
through food & nutrition education, advocacy, youth-led community
organizing, service learning, urban agriculture, social entrepreneurship, as
well as job training and placements.
Christina
Selby, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Earth Care states, "the
increasing rates of childhood diabetes and obesity is an indicator of the state
of health overall in our community. Our approach with this program is to
support the positive development of young people in a way that also bolsters
the environment, local economy, and community. We look forward to bringing the
natural innovation and problem solving skills of young people to bear on this
challenge."
Earth Care will need the help of the Santa Fe community to bring this program together.
They are seeking a cash match of $70,000 to go forward. Each dollar invested as
a match into this program will leverage double the funds, extend the services
available to meet food security needs, and provide support for partners
including Cooking with Kids, Santa Fe Alliance, Santa Fe Farmer's Market
Institute, SF Food Policy Council, Santa Fe Public Schools, SF Community
College, and the City and County of Santa Fe.
The community is encouraged to help Earth Care reach this goal by
making a donation to the "It Takes A Village Campaign" to help
Earth Care secure the match to leverage the grant. Not only will it
impact the youth involved, but also meet food needs in the Santa Fe community. This project is a
demonstration of partnership and innovative practice that can become a model
for communities all across the
nation.
Earth Care is asking for 2,800 people/families to donate $25 each (feel free to
give more to help us reach our goal faster) to this campaign. It will
take a village to make this happen, so please join me in making an impact here
locally by helping our area food producers, by supporting our schools, by
creating jobs for young people, by improving our environment, by supporting our
youth and helping those most in need in our village. We
can't do this without the help of the Santa Fe Community. Please join us
today!
Thank you for your participation,
The Earth Care Team
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