Outreach/Food Justice Meeting Minutes 2/11/13
-Rosanna has stepped down as co-chair of FJC. A call has been put out here looking for new chairs for Outreach and Food Justice. In the meantime, Rosanna sent out a detailed email with possible responsibilities, which members of FJC have agreed to split up.
-There were two events FJC members went to. Ankit and Rachel attended Bk Food Coalition panel conversation on the food justice movement. Christina went to screening of "Soul Food Junkies." We will be co-hosting a screening with MARP on Friday 22nd, keep an eye out for posters.
-Try to grab some leaflets if your going to an event. Be respectful of everyone's time and message #timeandplacefornetworking.
-Events committee film series, Food, "My Brooklyn", food justice films. Email events committee if you'd like to be a part. Discussions following films, influential POC from the community...
-Mural update from Rachel: Frontlines of gentrification vacant lots behind co-op. 596 Acres has put the ground work in place, but who can help us get a garden in the back? Extra interesting, this shit is real. Stand up. Plant seeds! Paula from 596 acres is the contact. Mural meetings will be outings, let's get shit done, and get hours.
-Kareem assisted by David: Looked into what it would look like to have a code of ethics/ethical sourcing. Merchandising is in charge of that. Access and Pricing seems to be the top priority for Merch. Survey was done in the past. New survey that get more at justice and ethics behind food. Shaping our co-op. Going forward have discussions about this, and create a survey. Who all is interested? Malory and Antik is a good resource for the survey. We could set ourselves apart by creating clear guidelines. David and Kareem will be attending the next Merchandising meeting. Survey non-members as a way to find out what's important to communities we are attempting to engage in co-op.
-Hey guys who can help with some of the responsibilities of the FJC?? Lets take ownership of our committee.
-Christina will host and help with agenda, and leading meetings. I'd also like to work with outreach.
-David will help with sending email reminders.
-Malory will navigate emails. Involves informing members of events and posting on Facebook (social media organizer). Ankit will send her awesome stuff.
-Amy will be admin, approve shits, respond to the people who would like to join.
Note: let's all go to events that interest us and report back. Lets do our best to be respectful and build positive relationships in our community.
Working Co-op...is it working?? keeping costs down? pain points, how do we get through?
-Could we get people from other committees, merch, membership, to talk with us at a future meeting?
-The co-op as a gentrifying agent -classism & racism: What definitions of gentrification to we have? Loaded. Use of racism and classism. Do we have a common analysis? Can we come up with agreed definitions of gentrification, classism, and racism. Why are people poor?
-Where/ how should we be doing outreach working with the Education Committee. Resources in the community, going to, building relationships with, collaborating with Fort Green Community Center and churches.
FOR NEXT MEETING
15min Introductions: Name and something that resonated with you from last meeting? If you are new what made you interested in the FJC.
20min Someone from membership (if possible)
25min Update from Kareem and David on merch meeting and any other updates
15min Blog and website brainstorm
The rest of the time 45min Create a safe place and then have the majority of the meeting be discussion: Definitions of gentrification, classism, and racism. Why does inequality exist? Do we have a common analysis?
Looking forward...
So we decided to continue having meetings the second Monday of the month at the same place, 90 Downing St. Apt. 41.
Next meeting Monday March 11th, 7pm to 9pm
If you can pick up a chair or two at the co-op on your way over and we can put them back after. If you are shopping before the meeting, there will be room in the fridge to store any cold items.
Rosanna was so wise in pointing out, we may all view gentrification differently. Food for thought, bellow I added the definition from Wikipedia, I thought it could be helpful in thinking about our own definitions.
Gentrification is a dynamic that emerges in poor urban areas when residential shifts, urban planning, and other phenomena affect the composition of a neighborhood. Urban gentrification often involves population migration as poor residents of a neighborhood are displaced. In a community undergoing gentrification, the average income increases and average family size decreases. This generally results in the displacement of the poorer, pre-gentrification residents, who are unable to pay increased rents, and property taxes, or afford real estate. Often old industrial buildings are converted to residences and shops. New businesses, which can afford increased commercial rent, cater to a more affluent base of consumers—further increasing the appeal to higher income migrants and decreasing the accessibility to the poor. Often, resident owners unable to pay the taxes are forced to sell their residences and move to a cheaper community.
Political action, either to promote or oppose the gentrification, is often the community's response against unintended economic eviction. However, local governments may favor gentrification because of the increased tax base associated with the new high-income residents, as well as because of other perceived benefits of moving poor people and rehabilitating deteriorated areas.
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Update on March 11, 2013:
Since our last mtg, we realized some roles were missing, so here’s an updated list of who’s doing what:
-Christina will host and help with agenda, and leading meetings if necessary (Really ppl should rotate the facilitating and secretary roles at each mtgs, that helps share the workload and keeps the leadership shared amongst all members).
-Amy is email/internal admin: approves shifts, responds to foodjustice@greenehill emails, sends out reminders re: mtgs
-David is our website admin: posts mtg dates and notes on our website. He’ll also work with George Edwards to ensure our mtgs are posted on Brooklyn Food Coalitions calendar.
-Malory is FJC Social Media person: Pulling info from emails, appropriate community events and Ankit.
-Renee for now is our steering committee liaison….this role just keeps a pulse on what the other committees are working on and is the rep for the FJC within the greater Co-op leadership
- It would really great if folks would occasionally attend a GM to rep the FJC….does anyone want to take this on as their role
ALso pls note that our agendas are finalized and approved at the beg. of each mtg, so Agenda’s listed for the following months mtgs are “suggested” agendas.