Support the OFPC
Do you believe that all residents of Oakland 
should have access to fresh, sustainable, affordable food options within easy access of their communities? So do the 21 volunteer members of the Oakland Food Policy Council, who represent Oaklanders from all sectors of the food system. We invite you to invest in a more equitable and sustainable food system here in Oakland, and make the work of the OFPC possible!
(Zucchini photo: Jamie Nash)
By showing your financial support this giving season, you can help the Council meet its four main goals that ultimately aim to create a more just food system in Oakland:
- Ensuring that healthy food is accessible to every Oakland resident
- Building a healthy local economy
- Promoting a healthy environment, including a “zero-waste” food system and ecologically sound agricultural practices
- Equipping every Oakland citizen with the knowledge needed to make healthy choices about food and the food system.
The Council has our work cut out for us. Did you know that 20 percent of the population of Oakland lives below the federal poverty level, compared to 12 percent nationally? How about that 29 percent of Alameda County residents suffer from food insecurity, with an even higher percentage suffering in Oakland? Obesity among children and diet-related disease in adults is higher in Oakland than the rest of the county and 87 percent of Oakland's students received free and reduced school-lunches (often their most substantial meal of the day). School meals are not exactly the most nourishing meal either, as limited budgets have forced schools to turn to serving meals long on fats and short on fresh produce. As this is often the only meal that a child will eat all day, it is all the more vital that Oakland schools have the resources to serve healthy meals to all its students.
Not only did 2009 see the seating of the Council, it also saw the release of Council member Nathan McClintock’s Cultivating the Commons. Working in collaboration with Jenny Cooper, a fellow UC Berkeley geography researcher, McClintock details the agricultural potential of publicly-owned land in Oakland.
In addition, a new report from Food First and the Community Food Security Coalition, and co-authored by the Council Coordinator, was released last week. Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned highlights food policy councils as a useful tool that city, state and local governments can use to fight hunger, diet-related diseases and other symptoms of a failing food system. The report is based on an in-depth survey of 48 food policy councils established in North America over the past 30 years, and comes up with some surprising, hopeful stories.
2010 promises to be an exciting year as well, as the Council's four smaller work groups will begin work at the city, regional, and neighborhood level, and will promote public-private partnerships.
The time is ripe for your tax-deductible donation! The Council is committed to keeping food, hunger, and local food systems on the City of Oakland's agenda and transforming the Oakland food system into an engine for local and regional economic 
development. The Council is gaining a holistic understanding of the barriers that Oakland has historically faced in establishing a thriving local food system. Your generous support will allow the Council to continue its work in attempting to ensure access to healthy, affordable food within walking distance for all Oakland residents.
Show your support for this important work today!
We wish you peace, joy, and access to nutritious food in 2010.
Your tax-deductible donation to the Oakland Food Policy Council will help the OFPC in its efforts to ensure access to healthy, affordable food within walking distance of every Oakland resident; keep food, hunger, and food systems on the City of Oakland's agenda; and transform the Oakland food system into an engine for local and regional economic development. Support from the community is essential as the OFPC grounds its success in the engagement and contributions of Oakland community members.
