Thread by @UnitedWayDenver

Welcome back to another #CourageousConversations! Today we'll be talking food insecurity and race. Use the hashtag to join in the conversation!

.@saphyr29 begins by setting the stage, noting that hunger and food insecurity happens every day, in every community. #CourageousConversations

Jennifer Banyan, one of our expert panelists, shares data around food insecurity in Colorado, including a 28-55% increase in the last year alone. In Denver, nearly 100,000 individuals are experiencing hunger #CourageousConversations

In Denver, nearly 20% of all children faced food insecurity in 2020. #CourageousConversations

On average, we're looking at 1 in 9 Americans experiencing hunger, but it's 1 in 5 in Black communities, 1 in 6 in Latinx communities, and 1 in 4 in Native American communities. #CourageousConversations

Sharing another sobering stat, Jennifer notes that teens facing food insecurity are 5 times more likely to commit suicide #CourageousConversations

JoAnna Cintron with RE:Vision discusses the organization's mission and their focus on increasing access to home gardens to increase food access and multi-generational activities #CourageousConversations

JoAnna notes that their model is focused on removing shame from the equation - paying well for labor, focusing on culturally responsive food, and ensuring people retain their dignity when seeking help to address food insecurity #CourageousConversations

Summer Downs with Re:Vision adds that by focusing hyperlocal and on community-led programming, they are able to heal relationships with food, land, and are able to put power back in hands of community members. #CourageousConversations

JoAnna adds that equitable systems can only exist when access, power, and security are not contingent on things that you as an individual cannot control. #CourageousConversations

.@saphyr29 poses the question, reflecting on Jennifer's slides, if the problem is solvable, how can we solve it? #CourageousConversations

Jennifer notes that solving it requires working with leaders in every sector within Colorado. She notes that our system chooses to keep people hungry by where they choose to put the money. #CourageousConversations

She adds that you cannot have hunger equity when people are still going without food. #CourageousConversations

To make sure that you are part of the solution, it's necessary to share that the issue of food insecurity is important to you, Jennifer Banyan notes.

JoAnna Cintron adds that food access IS hyperlocal. It is often so hyperlocal that it's a 2-mile radius, so rallying with your local community and understanding what's happening in your 2-mile radius is one of the best paths forward #CourageousConversations

JoAnna adds that the Latinx community has such incredible purchasing power that if they were a country, they would have the 4th highest GDPE in the world. Knowing that and empowering those communities without access to find, create, and sustain access for themselves is key.

Thank you for joining another #CourageousConversations and please feel free to join in on the conversation, add resources around the topics of food insecurity and race and share your thoughts with the hashtag!

Learn more about the series and upcoming topics here: unitedwaydenver.org/courageous-con…

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