Cleveland’s Train To Food Justice, Propelled By The Nourishing Power Network: Cheryl Clements And Darcy Freedman

CLEVELAND -- The Nourishing Power Network (NPN) is simply a unit for opportunity, health, and sustainability that connects nan champion of Cleveland’s history — innovation, resilience, and group — pinch a early that nary longer tolerates a nutrient strategy designed to exclude.

Born from a request to reside glaring inequities successful our section nutrient system, NPN unites growers, mini business owners, educators, advocates, and neighbors. Link by link, members of nan web are testing ways to span organization and organization powerfulness to spark and grow nutrient justness initiatives led by nan community. We bring our strengths together to research caller collaborative approaches, gathering successful nan mediate of intersections that antecedently led our activity successful different directions. NPN is charging connected nan tracks of Cleveland to a destination wherever our section nutrient strategy useful for all. Once and for all!

Since July 2022, NPN, guided by its organization Advisory Council, has:

-Continually engaged complete 600 people.

-Graduated 18 fellows.

-Invested $240,000 successful section nutrient justness initiatives.

It has a extremity to found 10 Nutrition Zones successful Greater Cleveland by 2030.

The NPN travel isn’t theoretical. It’s happening correct now, successful Cleveland, 1 nexus astatine a time.

Danielle White, a young female from nan Buckeye vicinity who now lives successful and advocates for nan Central neighborhood, was erstwhile a skeptic. She doubted NPN could beryllium different from anterior initiatives that promised alteration earlier falling short. Yet, done nan Nourishing Power Fellowship, mentorship, and opportunities to lead, she saw her ideas formalize. She aspires to lead an inclusive workplace that creates occupation opportunities while nourishing nan surrounding community. Today, she’s not conscionable a believer — she’s an advocate, inspiring others to get onboard.

The web gains momentum pinch each energized caller partner.

Veronica Walton and Don Gaddis are testaments to NPN’s effect connected mini businesses. With NPN’s support, Don took advantage of nan Fellowship to reimagine connectivity of nan section nutrient system utilizing technology. Veronica, a grantee of nan Nutrition Equity Fund, is unifying a corporate of section nutrient leaders crossed Wards 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 connected Cleveland’s East Side to create a Nutrition Zone that supports holistic health.

Members of nan web cultivate activity among young people. From Clark-Fulton to Collinwood, from Mount Pleasant to Glenville, grassroots leaders successful Cleveland’s neighborhoods are expanding co-ops and acquisition programs. Youth are learning really to turn nutrient and build sustainable nutrient systems that use their communities.

These are nan links successful nan concatenation that are transforming uncertainty into action and hesitation into momentum.

In this July 6, 2015, record photo, Zion Nicholson, 4, examines an okra works wrong nan greenhouse of Village Family Farms successful nan Hough vicinity of Cleveland. Zion had been coming to nan plot his full life pinch his father, Jafar Nicholson, nan garden's task manager. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer, 2015, File)The Plain Dealer

Cleveland’s nutrient strategy is trending upward, fueled by nan sacrifices and gains of those who came earlier us. The clip has travel to accelerate. Growing mini businesses, empowering youth, and shifting mindsets are conscionable nan beginning. With each victory, NPN strengthens its interconnections, ensuring that this train doesn’t conscionable enactment connected track, but besides reaches caller communities.

Cheryl Clements is co-founder and co-owner of Melanated Mushrooms and was a chap of nan Nourishing Power Network.Courtesy of Nourishing Power Network

The activity of nan Nourishing Power Network is not finished. We are moving afloat steam ahead, powered by partnerships, innovative solutions, and a corporate committedness to change.

Darcy Freedman is nan Principal Investigator of nan Nourishing Neighborhoods Empowering Communities study and head of nan Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health astatine Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine.davidschwartzphoto.com

Together, we envision a clip erstwhile Greater Cleveland is known for its Nutrition Zones -- oases wherever you’ll find vibrant and adjacent nutrient systems powered by community-driven solutions and partnerships that foster wealthiness creation and make wellness opportunities for each residents.

Now is nan clip to get connected board.

To go a partner: Click connected nan “Join nan Nourishing Power Network” at: Nourishing Power Network | Swetland Center for Environmental Health | Case Western Reserve University

Cheryl Clements is co-founder and co-owner of Melanated Mushrooms and was a chap of nan Nourishing Power Network. Darcy Freedman, Ph.D., is nan Principal Investigator of nan Nourishing Neighborhoods Empowering Communities study and head of nan Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health astatine Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine.

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