Consumer Empowerment Network VISTA
Do you want to help increase food access for vulnerable people in Cumberland County? The Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC) works with community partners to initiate, strategize and innovate solutions to hunger by advocating, sharing information and resources, and taking collective action. CCFSC's focus is to build food security with economically disadvantaged people with limited access to healthy food. The VISTA member at CCFSC will help connect Maine residents with local, culturally appropriate and nutritious foods through infrastructure building, increasing the capacity of local organizations, and collecting data for a report on food access disparities. USDA research reports that 13.6 percent of Maine households are food insecure – a rate significantly higher than the national average of 11.7 percent. Additionally, in September of 2019 Maine ranked 16th in the nation for child food insecurity with one in five Maine kids food insecure and an 18 percent child poverty rate. This data does not account for disruptions in the food system by the pandemic. The VISTA member at CCFSC will have the opportunity to be a part of Maine’s historic plan to end hunger in the state by 2030, and will join a cohort of VISTAs across the state doing similar work with different organizations.
The goal for this position is to establish infrastructure that supports the availability of more nutritious food for those vulnerable to food insecurity. It also seeks to involve more people in solving hunger in Maine. The VISTA will coordinate efforts to bridge the gap between consumers with limited resources and locally produced nutritious food, and develop production, processing and distribution systems. The member will also build the capacity of local organizations to support an empowerment network that will elevate the voices of people with direct experiences of poverty to promote solutions. Community events will be an opportunity for the VISTA member to promote local food and collect data for a report on disparities in food access for BIPOC Mainers. Finally, the VISTA will implement online infrastructure including a web page and social media.
Food, Gas, and Housing assistance offered!