We invite you to join us at a Poughkeepsie Plenty* Community Food Forum!

A Community Food Forum is a facilitated group process designed to identify community assets and to generate ideas for how we can build on our resources to ensure plenty of nourishing food for all residents. Forums are positive, engaging and fun. And food is provided!

We want to involve the perspectives of as many different organizations, residents and stakeholders as possible. Forums will gather input, generate ideas, and prioritize opportunities for creating change  to ensure that all residents of the City of Poughkeepsie can secure nutritious food.     

The dates, times and Poughkeepsie locations of scheduled forums are:

• April 22, 1:45 pm - Jewish Community Center - 110 Grand Ave.
• April 23, 5:30 pm - Poughkeepsie High School, Library, 2nd Floor - 70 Forbus St.
• April 25, 6:00 pm - St. Paul's Episcopal Church - 16 Mansion St.
• April 26, 5:30 pm - New Hope Community Center - 104 Hudson Ave.
• April 27, 12:30 pm - Family Partnership Center, Room L24 - 29 N. Hamilton St.
• April 29, 2:30 pm - St. Mary's Church - 231 Church St. (NOTA: Foro EN ESPANOL)
• May 24, 1:00 pm - Family Partnership Center, Room L24 - 29 N. Hamilton St. (NOTA: Foro EN ESPANOL)

Community Food Forums will culminate in a City-wide action planning forum on June 23, 2012 that will involve people from every forum. Starting with the ideas generated at the forums, the City-wide forum will be focused on setting priorities and creating an action plan for how food is sourced and made easily available to all Poughkeepsie residents.

*What is Poughkeepsie Plenty?

Poughkeepsie Plenty is a community collaboration working to ensure that all residents of the City of Poughkeepsie can secure nutritious food.  We envision a great food system** in Poughkeepsie, with these results:

• Our children are nourished as they learn and develop.
• We feel good and stay well.
• Our environment is healthy.
• Our youth have opportunities.
• Our economy is diverse and strong.
• The types of food available are not limited by income level.
• Food is at the center of enjoying and celebrating life.

Our first step was to complete a survey of residents to understand how Poughkeepsie’s food system works.  We are still working on that.  Our next step is to hold forums with groups all over the community to gather input, generate ideas, and prioritize opportunities for creating change.      

** The term “food system” refers to all the processes entailed in feeding people.  Our food system, by which food is produced, processed, distributed, consumed and disposed, is embedded in and shaped by our economic, political, social and environmental systems.