CAFE Meeting 08/16/23

Coalition Meeting Notes

In-Person Meeting

Activity: Review goals and determine milestone content for the next 45 days or greater.

Goal: Promoting greater access to programs

Comment	Speaker
DCFS is piloting a partnership with Code America to provide an app for SNAP applications Their hope is pop up locations at multi-sites: libraries, community center Looking at baseline data of who accesses support now vs. our goal Studying communication systems between governmental programs (Ex: DCFS > Medicaid)	Monica Brown (DCFS)
Suggestion: DCFS have pop-ups at grocery stores	Christen Engle (YMCA)
Food Bank is focused on areas that are more rural to increase impact	Mike Manning (EBR Food Bank)

In 45 days

Create outcome of student study: 1) Flowchart of processes between application to other benefits 2) Understanding the reasons of that siloed breakdown
Identify students, set goals for their participation

Goal: Collaboration between organizations

Comment	Speaker
Creating a culture beyond the stigma (especially for elderly) Consider educating the youth so they can advocate to their elders

In 45 days

Creating framework document for the education of this opportunity
Looking at BRAYN becoming engaged in education of the stigma around food access (trainings for partners to help their cohorts understand/promote food access)

Goal: Teach to grow

Comment	Speaker
Creating a start-up farmer’s document Funding/Loans, Opportunities, Legal Acknowledging land ownership barriers	Allie (BREADA) & SK (Baton Roots)

In 45 days

Meet together (BREADA/Baton Roots/GGH) to discuss what that document looks like and breakdown the steps/timeline
Farmer’s Bureau engagement? Farmer backyard/frontyard farming? LSU (Carl Motsenbocker/ask PTuck on recommendations/ Dr. Eubanks *later on*) and SU (Renetta Marshall/Stephanie Elwood) Ag centers, USDA (Beatra after IRA fundings, Robert Seeman, Quintala)

Parking Lots:

9/21 Budget Project Conference > to share moral outrage for food insecurity
Discussed vertical farming, barriers are more than just facility, it is infrastructure. Example farm from another state (CT?) is having to close because it became a loss leader.
Culture > Emergency Distributions

Attendance:

Mike Manning (EBR Food Bank)

Christian Engle (YMCA)

Monica Brown (DCFS)

Aetna/CVS

Allie (BREADA)

Donavan Johnson (BRCC)

SK Groll (Baton Roots)

Dean Andrews (Southern University)

Sherreta Harrison (MetroMorphosis)

Helena Williams (Walls)

Casey Phillips (Walls)

Pepper Roussel (Walls)