The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council has been awarded its first funding in the amount of $9,000 from the Appalachian Foodshed Project. The 2015 Community Enhancement Grant will allow the council to hire a part-time coordinator.
“Being an all-volunteer organization, we have not had the resources or capacity to support the needs of the community,” notes Laura Cheatham, Health & Education Cluster Representative with the ABFPC. “We hope this grant is the first of many to sustain our work going forward. Today, we posted a job listing for a paid part-time coordinator position that will enable us to function as the needed backbone organization to link our community together in the ever growing ‘collective impact’ efforts around food security in the Asheville Buncombe area.”
The ABFPC works to support a sustainable local food system by connecting and collaborating with other community groups to increase awareness and actions to improve food security and food policy locally
Click here to learn more about the position. The deadline for application is Friday, April 24.
Full release:
Asheville, NC: The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) has been awarded its first funding in the amount of $9,000 from the Appalachian Foodshed Project (AFP). The 2015 Community Enhancement Grant will further the work of the council to more effectively support a sustainable local food system by connecting and collaborating with other community groups to increase awareness and actions to improve food security and food policy locally. “Being an all-volunteer organization, we have not had the resources or capacity to support the needs of the community. We hope this grant is the first of many to sustain our work going forward. Today, we posted a job listing for a paid part-time coordinator position that will enable us to function as the needed backbone organization to link our community together in the ever growing Collective Impact efforts around food security in the Asheville Buncombe area.” Collective Impact brings diverse organizations together with a common agenda and a goal of solving a social problem. Because the ABFPC is an organization that addresses the intersectionality of the issue of food security, the council is in the optimal position to provide this vital role.
The AFP awarded a total of $27,000 to five projects (three continuing projects, and two new projects) in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. The ABFPC and the four other funded projects will continue to build on solid work already happening in the region while increasing access to local, fresh foods, creating new opportunities for collaboration, and building capacity for advocacy and action.
If you are interested in learning more about the Coordinator Position, or would like to apply, please check out the full position description on our website: www.abfoodpolicy.org/?page_id=1907. The deadline for application is Friday, April 24th, 2015.
The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council is a county-level organization founded in 2011. It is currently a growing network in Buncombe County with members representing county agencies, non -profits, entrepreneurs, and concerned citizens. Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council supports vibrant farms, healthy people, strong communities, thriving local economies and resilient ecosystems in Buncombe County.
The Appalachian Foodshed Project (AFP) is a collaborative effort among community-based organizations, three universities (Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, North Carolina State University) and Cooperative Extension in West Virginia, and the Appalachian regions of North Carolina and Virginia. The AFP’s mission is to help create a place-based food system that is resilient, accessible, affordable, and healthy for Appalachian communities. This USDA funded initiative aims to facilitate a network of organizations and individuals working to address issues of community development, economic viability, health, nutrition, food access, social justice, and agriculture in western North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and West Virginia. To learn more, visit www.appalachianfoodshedproject.org.
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