The Food Access & Essential Needs (FAEN) Engagement Workgroup will work collaboratively with members of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color (BIPOC) to bring diverse personal and collective perspectives to the development of an inclusive regional food system framework. Workgroup members will do this by spending 2-3 hours a week guiding community engagement activities and then communicating findings back to the workgroup in a weekly, virtual meeting. In the Spring, these community findings will culminate into strategy recommendations that address a prioritized list of food access gaps across Washington County’s regional food systems.

 Some examples of the engagement activities workgroup members may participate in are:

• Relationship Building through conversation that encourages personal storytelling around experiences with the local food system
• Collecting Feedback and Mapping Food Resources through surveys and/or community discussions that identify strengths, values, resources, opportunities, and barriers to regional food access
• Community Outreach to bolster project support and raise awareness of opportunities for community members and partners to participate in project activities

See the attachments below to learn more!