One of the main goals of Second Harvest Food Bank's Advocacy Program is to center the voices of our neighbors with lived experience of food insecurity in our advocacy work.
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY VOICES ACADEMY?
The Community Voices Academy (CVA) is specifically aimed at engaging our community members with lived experience of food and/or nutritional insecurity. It is a training program to prepare community members to be able to confidently share their stories of food insecurity and/or why issues of food insecurity are important to them. The goal is to integrate the voices of our community members in our advocacy work for sustainable change in our food systems. Participants of the program learn effective advocacy and public speaking skills while partnering with the Food Bank to further our mission of providing dignified, equitable, and consistent access to nutritious food.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
- Community members with lived experience of food and/or nutritional insecurity
- Professionals with backgrounds in or currently working in the food/nutrition or anti-poverty spaces
- College students
- Community leaders
- Food Bank staff members
- Agency Partners
- Food Bank Board of Directors
- Those passionate about hunger and food insecurity issues
WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?
The CVA consists of a series of six (6) weekly Zoom workshops. Each weekly workshop is two (2) hours in length. The final workshop includes a mock presentation to an elected official, staff member, or other guest listener.
The program runs twice yearly: once in Winter (January/February) and once in Summer (July/August).
Second Harvest recognizes and respects the time commitment of program participants and compensates each participant according to the following:
- $25 Grocery gift card for each workshop attended during the six weeks
- For those completing the entire training series (all six sessions), there is an additional $100 grocery gift card
- Please note: Paid Food Bank staff members participating in the program will not be compensated with grocery gift cards
Participants accepted into the program must commit to:
- Completing the below application form for consideration of acceptance into the program.
- Attending each of the six virtual training sessions. We will work collectively to set up times convenient for everyone. Sessions are typically for 2 hours during a weekday, for six consecutive weeks.
- Fully participating in group discussions, exercises, and public speaking presentations. We make every effort to cultivate a respectful and safe environment so that all participants feel comfortable to share their stories and perspectives.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Complete the below application form. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for both the Winter and Summer sessions. All applications will receive a response, however admittance to the program is not guaranteed and is based on program availability. Priority is given to participants with lived experience of food and/or nutritional insecurity.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
Contact Malia Cary, Director of Government Affairs & Community Relations, at malia@feedoc.org or 949-208-3152.
