Educating faith communities about food justice at the Brooklyn Food Conference

New York Faith & Justice (NYFJ) has been invited to participate in the Brooklyn Food Coalition’s “Brooklyn Food Conference” on May 12, 2012. Our food justice working groups will be hosting workshops during the conference as a way to engage  New York City’s faith organizations and people in the community on social justice issues that surround food---how they might access healthy food, be stewards of the environment, and get involved in the “Adopt-a-Bodega” program, Farm Bill advocacy, and other initiatives that NYFJ is participating in.

Many faith organizations have health ministries and health fairs but often do not have the resources to fully meet the needs of their communities. We hope to provide those that attend our workshops with educational materials, and opportunities to create relationships with health advocates, and engage with new ideas they can then bring back to their own communities. 

We will be working with all of our working groups (comprised of health professionals with expertise in food justice issues and experience mobilizing the faith community in New York City) to develop the educational materials for the Brooklyn Food Conference. Our hope is to have the materials developed, printed, and ready to distribute for those who attend our workshops in May.  Materials will also be made available to faith communities not able to attend the Brooklyn Food Conference.

Formed in June 2006, NY Faith and Justice is a diverse movement of churches, organizations, and individuals committed to following Christ, uniting the church and ending poverty in New York through spiritual formation, education and direct advocacy. NY Faith & Justice has more than 100 individual members, 17 formal organizational partners and scores of churches and organizations partnering informally through collaborative initiatives focused in three strategic areas of interest: Faith-Rooted Organizing, Environmental Justice, and Immigration Reform.  

In 2010, NYFJ held a “Food, Faith & Health Disparities Summit” at Riverside Church to engage the faith community in determining actions that could be taken to ensure underserved communities could have the same access to healthy food as more affluent individuals. Five working groups were formed as a result of this summit, all working towards a more just food system in New York City.

We are very committed to continuing in the vain of our mission statement, and the Brooklyn Food Conference is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the faith community in New York City. Our goal is to mobilize the faith community to be engaged in creating systemic change, by providing the information and resources necessary to ensure that all people can have regular access to healthy, affordable food.