““I must remind you that starving a child is violence. Neglecting school children is violence. Punishing a mother and her family is violence. Discrimination against a working man is violence. Ghetto housing is violence. Ignoring medical need is violence. Contempt for poverty is violence.” ”
The devastation caused by the pandemic has left millions of American households without adequate resources to put sufficient food on their tables. Families with young children are hardest hit, with more than 40% of them unable to afford enough food to meet their needs. The pandemic is not the cause of the gross inequity and economic distress that is pervasive across our nation. The crisis called poverty started long before the first COVID case was confirmed in our community. Decades of underfunding, oppressive policy, band-aid fixes, and neglect have resulted in a torn safety net that has left American families without the money, power and other resources they need to thrive.
As many Americans start or continue their journeys of learning and unlearning right now, we are all waking up to the many forms of institutional violence that are directed at BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Food aparteid, food insecurity, and land dispossession are forms of violence, and with renewed passion, we at The Nashville Food Project are digging into the healing work to make our vision a reality--that all Nashvillians have access to the food they want and need, through a just and sustainable food system.
“You have the duty to change what you have the power to change,” says author and activist Austin Channing Brown. We know that if we tried to do everything we would fail. But we also know we have a moral obligation and community responsibility to step in everywhere we can to uproot the violence of poverty. In this time of crisis that is not new but growing more complex, The Nashville Food Project is on the frontlines, growing food, cooking food, and sharing food in equitable ways throughout the city. We take seriously the clarion call from the late, great Mary "Mother" Jones who said while we "pray for the dead, we fight like hell for the living."
NOURISH NASHVILLE
As many of you already know, this year's Nourish fundraising dinner and auction event is cancelled. It’s not the year for a large, celebratory gathering, nor is it the year to pour our limited efforts of time and creativity into a special event when the critical needs of our neighbors continue to mount. But it is a time to Nourish Nashville more than ever. Nourish will be coming into your homes this year, and although virtual, we hope this makes for an intimate experience of connection with those in your household. Our team has enjoyed finding creative ways to raise the critical funds the Nourish event brings in, while engaging with you all virtually. We hope you enjoy these scrappy, behind-the-scenes snapshots at thenashvillefoodproject.org/nourish2020!