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By Abby Cabrera, MPH, UCSF Project Manager & Marna Armstead, SisterWeb Co-founder & Executive Director; Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee Co-Chairs

The recently published article by the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), Revenue Allocations from Soda Taxes in Oakland and San Francisco Continue to Diverge from Advisory Committee’s Recommendations, highlighted the considerable amount of time and effort spent by members of the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee (SDDTAC) as well as the discrepancies between the the SDDTAC’s budget recommendations and Mayor’s budget allocations. Although the allocations diverge from the recommendations, San Francisco’s SDDTAC remains committed to making community-driven funding recommendations which support services and other innovative, community-led work to decrease the consumption of sugary beverages, increase access to water, and support healthy eating and active living. 

The general purpose of the SDDTAC is to make funding recommendations to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks in San Francisco and evaluate the impact of the revenue allocation from the soda tax. The San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax (SDDT) Ordinance and the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee took effect on January 1, 2018, and over the last five years, the 16-member SDDTAC committed more than 900 hours per year to discuss budget recommendations, evaluate programs, receive input from the community, and communicate those priorities by submitting a balanced budget based on the amount allotted by the SDDT. A recent prospective longitudinal study reported a 34% decrease in average sugar-sweetened beverage consumption following the first two years of tax implementation¹. Findings from the comprehensive evaluation report show that (1) the San Francisco SDDT Ordinance and SDDTAC have been identified as effective in addressing health disparities resulting from the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages as well as addressing long-standing inequities; (2) The SDDT values have ensured that SDDT funded programs focus on and effectively engage communities most burdened by inequities; (3) Organizations and agencies used SDDT funding to help those communities experiencing the worst health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic meet basic needs while simultaneously supporting the structural changes necessary to promote equity; and (4) SDDT funded entities are beginning to achieve desired outcomes. The last five years have provided San Francisco communities with access to programs and activities that aim to support community-led and culturally relevant work, build strong collaborations and partnerships to increase capacity and effectiveness, eliminate structural inequities and achieve equity, and result in long-term impacts.

Additional SDDT-funded highlights from FY 2021-2022 include:

• More than 49,850  individuals participated in SDDT-funded grant programs 
• 24,132 (46% of SFUSD students) benefited from SDDT-funded structural changes such as Refresh kitchens and/or SDDT hydration stations
• SFUSD Student Nutrition Services provided more than 7.5 million meals to SFUSD families 
• 10,356 toothbrushes were distributed to SFUSD students
• 2,188 community members received Requity scholarships
• 13,923 individuals received Market Match incentives/supplements
• 4,417 individuals received Vouchers4Veggies

We invite you to join us in celebrating San Francisco’s 5-year soda tax by attending any of the upcoming events below.

Soda Tax 5-Year Celebration Event Details

The Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee is dedicated to serving the San Francisco communities to improve their health and wellbeing. The committee cannot do this work alone and values your input. If you have more questions or feedback about our recommendations and/or the Mayor’s budget, we encourage you to attend our monthly SDDTAC meetings by joining through Zoom or calling in. In addition, you can let the Board of Supervisor of your impacted district know what is important to you, and can contact the Mayor’s Office about your priorities and how they impact the work you do and the community you live in. We invite you to view the links below and we hope to see you at our monthly meetings. Lastly, we would like to acknowledge and recognize our partner in advocacy, SPUR, for uplifting the work of the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee.  

Resources

1. San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee main page (including meeting links and details)  
2. SDDTAC 2023 Annual Report & Budget Recommendations FY 2023-2024 and FY 2024-2025
3. SDDT Evaluation Report FY 2021-2022
4. 2023 Data Report (report will be posted to www.sf.gov/sddtac in November 2023)

¹ Silver LD, Padon AA, Li L, Simard BJ, Greenfield TK (2023) Changes in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the first two years (2018 – 2020) of San Francisco’s tax: A prospective longitudinal study. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(1): e0001219. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001219

Guest blog post by Nasser Albaqqal and videos by Elijah Roberts with Bounce Back Generation. The Sugar and Decoloniality 2.0 series was made possible with funding from the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax. The San Francisco Department of Public Health and Shape Up SF Coalition have utilized the resources generated by the SDDT to bring attention to the complex relationship between sugar, colonialism, and its impact on social, economic, and physical health.

Who doesn’t want a little bit of sweetness in life? Sugary foods and drinks are consumed every day as treats and as a hidden ingredient in processed foods, part of our Standard American Diet (SAD). It started in the 16th century when humans began to increase how much they used sugar. Over the hundreds of years since then, sugar has been hiding some dark secrets, namely its role in the Atlantic slave trade.

For approximately 400 years, millions of enslaved Africans were transported to the Caribbean, South America, and later the United States to work on massive sugar plantations.These plantations generated significant wealth for European colonial powers and their colonists. The term “coloniality” originates from this system that enslaved many, enriched others, and shaped the way the world looks (and eats) today. 

The Shape Up SF Coalition and San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Team wanted to highlight this connection between the ways sugar has affected us socially, economically, and our physical health. Dr. Amber McZeal is an expert in “Decolonizing the Psyche”. Her Sugar & Decoloniality series helps to reveal how colonization has seeped into so much of our lives today, influencing systems and practices that we take for granted, and becoming embedded in our psyche. We must “decolonize”, peeling back layers of messaging, history, and harms to expose the truth about ourselves as individuals and the traditions and cultures we come from that have been suppressed through centuries of colonization practices.

Bounce Back Generation’s Elijah Roberts participated in the series. The video diaries he shares below reveal how he learned about coloniality during Dr. McZeal’s 4-part series held in San Francisco from April to September 2023. As you will see, the series had a profound impact on him intellectually and emotionally. Learning about decoloniality revealed his connection to his own past and to the cultures and nature we all need to connect and reconnect with. Below is a short description and video of each section.

Coloniality and Sugar (Session 1)

Why look at the sugar industry? Dr. McZeal reveals how the legacy of colonialism, enslavement, and oppression continues to shape sugar production and consumption. Most of today’s sugar comes from lower-income countries where exploitation and economic inequality is all too common. We know the health effects of sugar (diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure) affect lower income, and people of color much more frequently. Sugar plays a key role in colonialism, a profoundly brutal phenomenon that continues to damage already marginalized people through the promotion of unhealthy foods. In this video, Elijah talks about recognizing the historical and continuing injustice of the industry.

Session 1 Video 

Decolonizing our Heritage: The Impact of Coloniality and Capitalism (Session 2)

In Session 2, Dr. McZeal explores how colonialism and capitalism have hijacked heritage and culture. We may ask ourselves about our own heritage – what language do you speak, what food do you eat? How much of this has been taken, stolen, or commodified by capitalism? Decoloniality is the act of questioning our knowledge, reframing our thought and taking back ownership of our heritage. Dr. McZeal explains that this process helps us rebuild our connections with indigenous knowledge, our own histories, and each other. In this video, Elijah looks at how capitalism separates us from our culture, heritage, nature, and even our own psyche.

Session 2 Video 

Taking Back Earth: The Impact of Coloniality and Capitalism (Session 3)

Session 3 highlights how colonial industries exploit both people and resources, causing damage to the planet. Dr. McZeal emphasizes the need to appreciate and protect the natural world, acknowledging that humans are a part of it, not its owners. Session 3 focuses on reconnecting with nature and reflecting upon our connection to the planet. In the video below, Elijah reflects on his experience as he is guided through Dr. McZeal’s meditative peace walk around the gardens of San Francisco’s Presidio Tunnel Tops. This exercise serves as an example of how changing our perspectives can affect systems at large. Elijah’s realization of the power of his own personal connection and need for nature demonstrates that we are both a part of the Earth, and it is part of us. As we rebond with the planet, we can influence its health and in doing so influence and improve our own health. 

Session 3 Video 

Reflections and Celebrations of Our Coloniality Series (Session 4)

From the exploitative past and present to taking back the pieces of our lives that we lost to coloniality, this final chapter celebrates our journey so far. 

We would like to thank Dr. Amber McZeal, the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s HEAL Team, and Shape Up San Francisco for their dedication and effort in creating the sessions and blog series. 

Elijah gained so many insights that he shared below and in his final video.

As we gathered to celebrate, I remembered the knowledge and teachings from each session. We must carry this knowledge with us daily and use it to empower ourselves and our communities. 

• In session 1, we learned about how we have been wronged by an exploitative system. This knowledge is crucial in understanding the root causes of our struggles and in continuing to fight for justice and equity. 
• In session 2, we were reminded to never forget our culture and heritage. This is a powerful message that encourages us to embrace our identities and take pride in who we are. As we continue to reclaim and celebrate our culture, we are also breaking down the colonial mindset that has been forced upon us. 
• In session 3, we learned about the importance of the earth in our daily lives. Let us never forget that we are all connected to the planet, and our actions have a direct impact on its health. By being mindful of our environment and our relationship with it, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and harmonious world. 
• In session 4 – We remember that our journey is far from over. Our communities are continuously fighting against systemic oppression and injustice. By coming together and reclaiming the pieces of our lives that we lost to coloniality, we are taking powerful steps toward healing and liberation. 

Remember how you have been wronged by colonialism and use that knowledge to fuel your passion for justice. Never forget your culture and heritage, and always find ways to celebrate and honor them. Above all, remember that the earth is an integral part of our lives and protect it with all your might. Together, we can continue to break down the effects of coloniality and build a better, more equitable future for all.

Session 4 Video 

Guest blogger, Ellen Garcia, Program Manager of EatSF-Vouchers 4 Veggies, shares how the SDDT-funded program is leading the movement to integrate nutrition interventions into healthcare.

By Ellen Garcia, Program Manager, EatSF-Vouchers 4 Veggies

EatSF-Vouchers 4 Veggies is an innovative, community-based food voucher program founded in 2015. It began as a project of UCSF physician-scholar Dr. Hilary Seligman, who was interested in the relationship between food insecurity and chronic diet-sensitive conditions like diabetes and hypertension. She suspected many low-income patients at San Francisco Hospital were unable to afford the fruits and vegetables recommended by their doctors, and that simply providing means to buy these foods could improve their symptoms. She decided to study the impact of providing produce vouchers, redeemable at nearby stores, on such patients. Her theory proved right, and Vouchers 4 Veggies was born. 

Vouchers 4 Veggies does not generally work directly with patients or program participants; rather, we partner with clinics and community-based organizations to distribute vouchers to their own clients. Eligibility is determined by the clinic or organization, depending on need and/or health status. Participants receive $10 a week or more in fruit & vegetable vouchers for several months. Vouchers can be redeemed at over 40 San Francisco food vendors including farmers’ markets, corner stores, small specialty markets, and large grocery chains, allowing participants to choose where to shop, when to shop, what fruits & vegetables to buy, and how much to buy at once. The result is an extremely flexible health intervention that meets participants where they’re at and supports providers in engaging people around their most basic needs. What’s more, this model supports small food businesses and keeps dollars in the community. In fiscal year 22-23 alone, Vouchers 4 Veggies produce vouchers drove nearly a million dollars in fruit & vegetable purchases in San Francisco— over a third of which were made at farmers’ markets and BIPOC-owned small businesses.

A mere 8 years after Vouchers 4 Veggies was founded, public awareness of food insecurity – especially in the health professions – has changed dramatically. The idea that diet and disease are interconnected is not new, nor is the idea that food insecurity (having unreliable access to food) has health consequences. But we’re reaching a new understanding of health impacts from what’s come to be known as “nutrition insecurity”: having unreliable access to nutritious food. This idea has coalesced healthcare providers and food assistance programs around America into the Food As Medicine movement, which seeks to integrate nutrition interventions into healthcare and vice versa. It’s also become such an area of interest that it was a key topic at President Biden’s 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Healthcare providers all over the country are now launching “produce prescription programs” but Vouchers 4 Veggies, with years of experience in San Francisco and program pilots across the country, has become a leader in the space by keeping its model simple and continually researching and refining for impact.

Vouchers 4 Veggies’ ongoing evaluation and research informs both program improvement and “nutrition security” advocacy at the city, state, and federal level. This research shows Vouchers 4 Veggies program participants consume more fruits and vegetables not only while receiving the vouchers, but also continue that consumption and behavior after their enrollment ends. Participants report feeling more comfortable trying new fruits & vegetables because of the vouchers, ultimately incorporating them into their meals and shopping patterns. And results are especially impressive for low-income pregnant people, served by Vouchers 4 Veggies in partnership with San Francisco WIC and other local clinics; one study of pregnant voucher recipients showed a 37% reduction in the odds of preterm birth! 

Given that San Francisco’s preterm birth rate is higher than the state’s average, at 8.6%, such a reduction in preterm births illustrates how a simple intervention like produce vouchers can go a long way toward improving health equity. These results also show why Vouchers 4 Veggies believes produce prescriptions should be included in the medical care people receive. And working with healthcare partners throughout San Francisco and the state, we hope to make this a reality in the near future.

We congratulate the nine organizations that have been awarded grants through the 2023 SDDT (Soda Tax) Healthy Communities and Healthy Schools Grant Programs administered through the San Francisco Public Health Foundation (SFPHF) in partnership with SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and SF Unified School District (SFUSD). Please see the press release below.

***Press Release from San Francisco Public Health Foundation***

“San Francisco Soda Tax Initiative Awards $4.5M Grant to Drive Community Health Transformation”

San Francisco, CA, (August 1, 2023) – The San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax (SF Soda Tax) proudly announces the selection of six outstanding organizations as recipients of a substantial $4.5 million grant over three years. This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize community health in targeted areas by combatting the detrimental effects of beverage industry advertising on vulnerable communities. Backed by compelling scientific evidence linking excessive sugary drink consumption to preventable chronic conditions like diabetes, tooth decay, and heart disease, the need for urgent action cannot be overstated.

Building upon the remarkable success of the inaugural group of 11 organizations, this highly anticipated second cohort of carefully chosen grantees is poised to make an even greater impact. Already, their collective efforts have contributed to an impressive 34% decrease in sugary drink consumption among low-income communities of color within the first two years, as revealed by a recent study conducted by the reputable Public Health Institute.

Effective July 2023, each organization within the SF Soda Tax Grantee Cohort will receive an annual grant of $250,000 for a minimum of three years. These transformative grants are designed to improve the health of communities most adversely affected by sugary drink advertising, aligning with irrefutable scientific evidence linking overconsumption to chronic conditions. Made possible by the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax, widely recognized as the SF Soda Tax, this funding will empower the chosen organizations to drive tangible change.

Jennifer Harrington, Executive Director of the San Francisco Public Health Foundation, expresses tremendous pride in the partnership with the Department of Public Health, stating, “We take great pride in our partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Serving as a bridge, the San Francisco Public Health Foundation seamlessly directs funds to support the vulnerable neighborhoods of San Francisco. Together, we are empowering community-based organizations to realize their vision and enhance their capabilities. Through our collaborations, we are fueling innovation to achieve health equity.”

Christina Goette, Program Manager at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, highlights the highly competitive and community-informed grants process, stating, “The grants process was very competitive. We received 21 applications for 6 grants. We solicited and incorporated community input to understand community priorities as they relate to diet-sensitive chronic disease health disparities that impact the priority populations. These processes were designed to ensure the grants incorporate community voices and reflect community priorities to move us toward health equity.” Goette adds, “These robust processes were meticulously designed to ensure that the grants truly reflect community voice and prioritize community priorities, thus propelling us towards health equity. This community engagement approach epitomizes the values of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee, which is responsible for recommending soda tax revenue allocation to the Mayor’s Office. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the community members who played an instrumental role in building a community-informed and engaged process, resulting in these exciting new grant awards.”

Sylvia Selinger, Chief of Operations for Fa’atasi Youth Services, Inc., expresses gratitude for the opportunity to expand their work in the Pacific Islander community, stating, “We are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to expand our work by providing health programs that effectively address the critical chronic diseases plaguing our Pacific Islander community. This significant funding will enable our organizations to fortify our teams and implement peer health leadership model.”

This latest development in the SF Soda Tax Grantee Cohort marks a remarkable milestone in the ongoing pursuit of public health promotion, health equity advancement, and the creation of vibrant and healthier communities. By investing $4.5 million in these exceptional organizations, the San Francisco Public Health Foundation and the Department of Public Health are resolute in their commitment to combat the detrimental effects of sugary drink consumption in vulnerable communities. Together, alongside the collective efforts of both current and past grantees, there is great hope for a future where the adverse impacts of sugary drinks are mitigated, and the health and well-being of communities are uplifted to new levels of excellence.

For more information on the San Francisco Soda Tax, visit the website at www.sodatax-sf.org or click here. To view the list of the 2023 recipients of the San Francisco Soda Tax Initiative Awards, please visit https://bit.ly/3OnNvhj or click here.

For media inquiries, please contact:

San Francisco Public Health Foundation
1 Hallidie Plaza Suite 808
San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact: Jamaal Fort (for media inquiries)
(213) 588-3964
jamaal@flowlab1.com

The mission of the San Francisco Public Health Foundation is to develop and mobilize resources in support of the goals of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and its community partners to protect and promote health. Our job is to streamline and simplify our community health partners’ paths to successfully serve San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents.

***

Click here to view the press release on openPR

Click here to view the list of grantees (PDF)

Greetings folks! Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Kim Wong, Soda Tax Grants Coordinator with the SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH). I am responsible for managing Soda Tax grants and supporting grantee organizations through capacity building and technical assistance. I joined the team in late November 2022, just as we were getting ready to wrap up the final year of funding for the inaugural cohort of Sugary Drink Distributor Tax (SDDT) AKA Soda Tax Healthy Communities Grants. I’d love to take this blog space to share highlights from the last six months.

The Healthy Communities Grants Program was envisioned in 2018 by the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee (SDDTAC) and brought into fruition in 2019 by SFDPH in partnership with the San Francisco Public Health Foundation (PHF). Beginning in 2019, 11 community-based organizations with annual budgets less than $1 million were selected to receive multi-year funding. The 11 grantees received over $7 million over four years to reach the populations most impacted by the soda industry and support long-term sustainable changes that are health promoting, community building, and equity focused. Additionally, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and exposed the depth of health disparities in San Francisco’s most vulnerable communities, each grantee responded to the increased need and pivoted to provide essential services such as groceries distributions. Soda Tax grantees are hiring and providing stipends directly to community members, working to transform the food system, and pioneering the integration of culturally humble traditional healing practices into public health interventions.

As I set out to catch up on the grantees’ work, I was thoroughly impressed with the Soda Tax grantees as I read through their reports and held Zoom meetings with organizational staff. However, nothing could have better demonstrated the magic of their community building work than when I had the opportunity to experience their programming during site visits this past April. Follow along with me on my tour across San Francisco visiting seven out of the 11 grantee organizations!

My first visit was to the Farm & Kitchen June Jordan School for Equity where Urban Sprouts operates their paid internship and job readiness programs. The 1-acre farm boasts a fruit tree orchard, medicinal and culinary herb gardens, and a solar-powered kitchen made out of a shipping container! Under the shelter of the greenhouse in the company of several hens, I chatted with Herman Yee, Operations Director, and Alicia Lopez-Torres, Program Manager (and Urban Sprouts graduate!), about how the youth interns have been at farmers markets selling products grown and produced at the farm and conducting research around the use of CalFresh incentive programs.

Next on my site tour was Koshland Community Park and Learning Garden in the Western Addition, a space created by community-based advocates in the 70s and where CommunityGrows currently operates the BEETs (Band of Environmentally Educated and Employable Teens) paid internship and environmental justice and gardening program. Kunal Palawat, BEETs Program Manager, showed the native plant and flower plots and explained how they are using indigenous practices to improve the soil’s health. After the garden visit, we went across the street to John Muir Elementary to meet the BEETs interns. Throughout the school year, Kunal facilitated educational workshops with the BEETs, but it was a BEETs takeover day, in which one of the interns had prepared her own workshop on a topic of her choosing for her peers!

Near Civic Center, I met up with Farming Hope’s Andie Sobrepeña, Co-Executive Director and Haley Nielson, Development Director at the newly relocated Refettorio kitchen, a beautiful 5,200 square foot space featuring an open kitchen, office space, and a multi-use area for programming. Farming Hope’s paid apprentices receive 12 weeks of culinary and job readiness training. On the Monday afternoon that I visited, apprentices were buzzing about setting up farm fresh produce and groceries for a client-choice distribution. Meanwhile, more apprentices were in the kitchen preparing pre-packaged nutritious meals to be delivered to nonprofit partners throughout San Francisco. Later that evening, the space would transform into a dining room and the apprentices would serve a full three-course meal to community members, free of charge.

Also providing fresh food access is Bayview Hunters Points Community Advocates (BVHPCA), a grassroots organization addressing the inequitable reality that nearly all produce entering San Francisco passes through Bayview Hunters Point, yet its residents have very little access to this food. BVHPCA leaders Tony Kelly and Anthony Khalil invited me to their shared warehouse space in Bayview to meet their team and see how they are making change. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, SFDPH provided Soda Tax Grantees funding to join efforts to distribute much needed food resources to the community. This funding was a catalyst for BVHPCA to launch an innovative food distribution operation working with local BIPOC farmers to get food directly to Bayview Hunters Point residents through grocery distributions and deliveries, healthy retailers, and healthcare providers. The food distribution operation will serve as critical infrastructure for the planned Bayview Community Co-op, a community-owned grocery store and other community food programs.

After my visit to Bayview, I made my way over to Community Well in the Excelsior where they were also distributing free groceries. However, rather than transforming the local food system, Community Well focuses on transformative holistic healing. The community-based wellness center offers sliding scale holistic services (herbalism, acupuncture, counseling) as well as free and low-cost programs including grocery distribution and H3: Happy, Healing & Healthy (H3), their transformative lifestyle change program. As co-founders Jen Moran and Jennifer Navarro-Marroquin gave me a tour of the center, I could feel the supportive and peaceful space they have created for community healing.

Finally, I visited Instituto Familiar de la Raza in the Mission where I attended the launch event for their Spanish language podcast, Buen Provecho, de Nuestras Raíces Saludables, a 10-episode series promoting healthy eating and active living for the Latinx, Chicana, and Indígena community living in San Francisco. Over fresh fruit and tamales I chatted with the team, Carlos Izaguirre, Ingrid Lopez, Francisco Icala, and Arturo Vega-Fernandez, about how the audio format of a podcast was a helpful and culturally appropriate way to disseminate information to the Indígena community, in which literacy rates are low. The podcast is also translated and transcribed into Indígena languages and English.

On May 11th, SFDPH hosted a Celebration Brunch honoring the 11 grantees and their broad and impactful achievements. Former San Francisco Supervisor, Eric Mar, one of the key policymakers who got the Soda Tax on the ballot, gave remarks commending the grantees. We were also joined by San Francisco Health Officer and SFDPH Population Health Division Director, Dr. Susan Philip, who shared how the community empowering work of the Soda Tax Grantees is a cornerstone of advancing health equity. Over delicious food, laughter, and tears, grantees shared their highlights and wisdom with their colleagues. It was a wonderful way to celebrate an exceptional cohort of organizations and the passionate leaders behind them. Congratulations to the Healthy Communities Grantees!

2019 – 2023 Soda Tax Healthy Communities Grantees:

3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic

Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates

Bounce Back Generation

Community Grows

Community Well

Farming Hope

Instituto Familiar de la Raza

San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition

SisterWeb

SoMa Community Action Network (SOMCAN)

Urban Sprouts

This month, we invited Haley Nielson, Development Director at Farming Hope, an SDDT Healthy Communities grantee, to be a guest blogger and share how Farming Hope is changing lives and our food system by centering dignity through a holistic approach and radical collaboration.

By Haley Nielson, Development Director, Farming Hope

Farming Hope is changing lives and our food system. We center dignity through a holistic approach and radical collaboration.   

Farming Hope’s mission is to empower folks facing major barriers to employment like former incarceration, homelessness, and often both, to grow and cook food to sustain themselves and their communities. Since Farming Hope started in 2016, we have worked alongside folks still unhoused, and those who had made it out. The common theme was that everyone who “got out” was given responsibility and ownership at the support organizations they worked with. We call this universal principle the “need to be needed” and it is central to our theory of change. Growing, cooking, and serving food is proof that you are needed, and once that lesson is learned, it cannot be taken away. 

Every 12 weeks, we welcome a new cohort of trainees, or Apprentices, to our community food hub. Their training begins with orientation and basic kitchen etiquette, and then moves into a progressive curriculum that culminates in their own Apprentice-led multi-course dinner.  They learn knife skills, menu development, and how to tell what’s in season during our weekly visits to our community garden. Throughout the program they participate in resume workshops, financial training, interview prep, and career workshops, all working towards the ultimate goal of finding full-time, life sustaining employment.  

We don’t just train them in theoretical kitchen skills. Farming Hope’s program is different because our Apprentices are cooking for their community. By “feeding it forward”, we help our Apprentices to feel that they are needed by their neighbor. Apprentices learn by doing, and cook around 1200 meals per week for food insecure San Franciscans. All our menus are designed with feedback from the communities we serve to be nutritious, filling, culturally relevant, and absolutely delicious! Meals are free of charge and get sent to shelters, SROs, transitional housing sites, and other places that serve our housing insecure and vulnerable residents. 

When Apprentice Brian was able to drop meals he prepared off to a partner site in the Mission District, he was inspired by what he saw. The way that community showed up for each other through food had, in his words, “restored his faith in humanity”. Brian had been out of work and living in his car with his partner when he found Farming Hope and was skeptical that he could succeed. He graduated in 2022 with a job at a local food manufacturer. A couple weeks into his employment, he shared that he and his partner had just picked up their keys to a new apartment! 

Apprentices not only cook to-go meals for distribution out into the community, they also cook weekly three-course dinners for homeless families. Apprentices learn fine dining cooking and plating alongside our culinary team. And, just like a fine dining experience, families make a reservation through their case managers and are welcomed with white table cloths, flowers, and custom menus. Children have their own special area, complete with books, toys, and more. This is not only a space for meals, but also for community building, relaxation, and sharing. Parents swap parenting tips, children make friends, and our Apprentices, volunteers, and staff all mingle in a unique space that breaks down barriers and allows for genuine connection. 

On Mondays and Friday afternoons, and after our in house dinners, our Apprentices set up a client-choice grocery market. Often free pantry programs are often characterized by long lines, scarcity, and a lack of choice. We change this paradigm by offering a welcoming space, abundant fresh, local, and culturally relevant produce, and a dignified shopping experience.  We source from locally owned producers and regional produce. As part of our work to change the food system, we also recover produce that would otherwise go to waste. Americans waste up to 40% of our food supply, all while millions do not know where their next meal will come from. We’re reducing food waste by making sure that unused items get to people who need them most. 

We also invite community members to cooking classes based on menus folks enjoyed most at our in house dinners. We try to make these as accessible as possible, using recognizable ingredients and emphasizing fresh vegetables as much as possible. Guest Angelina has said that our food programs “have been a tremendous success. I find the produce and vegetables quite fresh, with a different variety every week. Nutrition is very important in my family, and I feel honored that we can have a program to support our needs… Thank you for providing such a great service and very friendly people that run the program. Everybody’s doing a great job.” 

We share this feedback with our Apprentices, who often beam with pride knowing that they are able to give back in this way. We think that it’s a big reason that we have such a high graduation rate, and why our Apprentices keep coming back for dinners and community long after they get jobs. In fact, we have an 80% graduation rate, and almost everyone that graduates obtains full-time life sustaining employment within just a few weeks. We’ve developed relationships with many local restaurants, grocers, and other food industry to ensure that our Apprentices have the best chance possible for healthy, sustainable economic empowerment. We also work with employers so that they understand what supports people from vulnerable backgrounds need. We worked with Good Good Culture Club to develop an externship and placed graduate Alvaro with the team. General Manager Aimee explains that “Alvaro has become an indispensable part of our team at Good Good Culture Club. He’s always willing to help with anything, learns quickly, and covers shifts whenever we need. We’re so happy to have him on our team.”  

Everyone is hungry to give back and belong, and we do that through food! From our job referral partners, community meal partners, employment partners, to our volunteers, staff, and of course Apprentices, we strive to show everyone that they are needed to empower each other, create healthy communities, and transform our city’s food system, no matter what your background. At Farming Hope, food means more than just calories served. Food represents culture, food is an act of care and love, and food is medicine. 

Farming Hope is proud to be a Soda Tax Healthy Communities Grant recipient. Funding from this grant makes our important work possible!