Experts estimate that in the United States, 80 billion pounds of edible food end up in landfills every year. At the same time, 37 million Americans (and over 4,300 Arlington residents) face food insecurity, a socio-economic condition in which households have limited or uncertain access to a nutritious diet. Also an issue of racial justice, food insecurity disproportionately affects Black, Latino, and Native American individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing surge in unemployment exacerbated these phenomena and created new need amongst many middle-income individuals, who previously were less reliant upon a social safety net.
Long before “pandemic” entered our everyday lexicon, however, community organizations in Arlington were seeking to address these problems and their offshoots. Join us for a Community Development Week forum on food security, equity, and the value of grants in leveraging nonprofit dollars. This panel will feature Andi Doane, Executive Director at Arlington EATS, Elise Springuel, Director of Operations and Community Partnerships at Food Link, and Jenny Raitt, Director of the Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development. The public is invited to attend to learn about the expansive network of organizations, volunteers, businesses, and government that enable progress toward food security in Arlington.
This video was created in coordination with Arlington Community Media, Inc. in Arlington, MA. ACMi is dedicated to providing an electronic forum for the free exchange of information and ideas which reflect the talents, skills, interests, concerns, and diversity of the Arlington, Massachusetts community.
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