Dear Friends,

I just applied for a grant for the first time in many years. It made me so grateful for your community support which has support this food work without having to go through that bureaucratic process. I’m going to share portions of the grant narrative below because it summarizes so much of how important this work is on many fronts, and how your financial gift makes it possible. Thank you for the support you give to community. This project was launched at the beginning of the pandemic, when it was clear that our local economy was disrupted through closures and lay-offs. Black and Brown Families, were particularly vulnerable due to the historic oppressive systemic practices of our community. With rural and urban food deserts, the difficulty of safely shopping during a pandemic, loss of income, and solutions that were not inclusive, fresh produce was even harder for some families to acquire than before. Food banks and USDA boxes provide relief with shelf-stable staples, but we know that fresh vegetables and fruits are necessary for full well-being and health.

Each week we purchase food to be distributed at neighborhood drop offs, at the homes of Black Elders. We have purposefully chosen these sites because they have already been established as places of support and connectivity, due to the community leadership of these Black Women and Men. These front porch “markets” become places and times where community members connect, trade news, and access resources. While the impetus of this work was to provide produce, these front porch markets have also become places where clothes, dishwares, and other needed supplies can be swapped and distributed. During these COVID times, the front porch markets have been an important and safe way for community to gather in well-ventilated spaces with social distancing.

The requested funds would go directly to our weekly ordering of produce. We order wholesale from Bellair Farm for local, organic foods when available and affordable, and from Standard Produce during the offseason months. Additionally, we purchase in bulk from other local providers. We receive donations of restaurant overages, and gleaning from home gardens. Produce is delivered to the front porch markets, and networks are activated. On Ridge St, that looks like phone calls going out to friends and relatives, as well as calling out to neighbors walking or driving by. In North Garden, the phone lines hum as the members of two churches get calls about ripe tomatoes or particularly good-looking greens. We estimate that our weekly budget of $300 of produce ordered supports 30-40 families, as they come and choose what suits their family and situation.

Because all project members love and know food, nothing goes to waste. If for some reason there is extra produce left after all families come through, the food gets processed and frozen, or it is distributed to extended networks, including to Buckingham.

We have made many changes over the past 18 months to make this mutual aid project sustainable and suitable for community members. We continue to improve and refine our delivery model. Initially we purchased 20 shares from a local CSA and distributed these to individual families. Some of the produce grown by the CSA was unfamiliar or unappealing to the families. We chose to move to purchasing wholesale so that we would be able to provide familiar food that are more likely to be used and enjoyed. Each week, the Black Elder distributing reviews what is available and makes selections based upon what their people will likely need or want. We also recognized that having neighborhood hubs for food distribution created community power, further visibly led by Black People, specifically Black Women. 

When we were doing individual family distribution, several young mothers were initially excited to get fresh produce, but then asked to be removed from the distribution. They shared that they wanted the produce, but that they didn’t have the knowledge or time to prepare the food, and did not want the food to go to waste. This caused us to specifically look to Black Elders, who did know how to prepare the food, and could share that knowledge person to person through the front porch market, or prepare the food directly for younger community members through informal family networks. Our decisions throughout have been influenced by the philosophy that food is not just sustenance, but a resource, and its presence builds power. By supporting Black Women and their food expertise, we are building Black Power.

While this project is centered around food, it is also integral community work. Auxiliary, complementary work is being done to ensure that the Black Elders’ can continue to remain in their homes. This includes bringing community resources to do home repair, problem-solving around legal and financial issues, and the indefinable strengthening that community connectivity provides. While we are not asking for financial support for this work, or explicitly including it within the purview of this ask, it is critical to name the context within which we are working.

We are an all volunteer project. In the 16 months since the onset of this project, we have distributed over $20,000 in fresh produce directly to Black and Brown Families, with the lowest of barriers. 85% of funding has come directly from individual donations from community members in our area. This is our first grant application for this work. Receiving funding would greatly reduce the labor involved in raising funds through individual giving, releasing energy for other community work. 

Our direct service providers, Katherine Burton, Pat Seay, and Dolly Joseph, have a combined ~200 years of living in the North Garden, Covesville, and Charlottesville areas. We each have deep experience working and living within our community. We have complementary and shared personal and professional experience that make us well-suited to undertake this work. Katherine grew up in Covesville and has lived in the North Garden area for over 60 years and has deep connections with her church and others in the area. Pat grew up in North Garden and has lived on Ridge St for over 30 years. Pat has deep expertise in hospitality and service. Dolly grew up on 29 South and has connections within the nonprofit sector. All 3 are community connectors and leaders and have deep knowledge of food and food preparation. 

We need $4000 to continue weekly food distribution until the end of the calendar year. Please give to Venmo @dollyjoseph or PayPal.me/dollyjoseph (please DOUBLE CHECK that it is person to person, and NOT for a good or service). Checks are also accepted. If you file taxes in such a way that you need a tax deductible letter, please email me for more information BEFORE sending money.