What's 'MOO' At The Clearinghouse — January 2000
 

  HARRY CHAPIN SELF-RELIANCE AWARDS WINNERS
Y2K FOOD RECOVERY TIP
SCHOOL BREAKFAST PILOT PROGRAM
UPCOMING CONFERENCES:
JUST FOOD SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
UNITED WE GROW-COOPERATIVES CONFERENCE
URBAN AGRICULTURE IS IT FOR REAL?

HARRY CHAPIN SELF-RELIANCE AWARDS WINNERS

The Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Awards are cash grants to honor grassroots organizations judged to be outstanding in their innovative and creative approaches to fighting domestic hunger and poverty by empowering people and building self-reliance. It is with great pride that World Hunger Year and the Chapin Foundation announce the winners of the 1999 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Awards.

These winners are selected from hundreds of applicants. Six outstanding grassroots organizations, diverse both geographically and in their approaches, will receive $5,000 grants.

Kauai Food Bank, Lihue, Hawaii – Operates a three-acre farm in Anahola's Ancient Hawaiian Homelands Farmlots that provides a formalized vocational rehabilitation program. Their Hui Mea'ai program is a broad-based community development project that teaches people how to grow their own food and then buys their Grade A produce for resale to local grocers, hotels, resorts, and restaurants thus strengthening food security through culturally appropriate enterprises.

Missouri Rural Crisis Center, Columbia, Missouri – Is a progressive, statewide, membership organization that works to empower farmers and other rural people. MRCC's mission is to preserve family farms, promote stewardship of the land and environmental integrity, and strive for economic and social justice by building unity and mutual understanding among diverse groups, both rural and urban.

The HOPE Program, Brooklyn, New York – Recognizing that homeless people face a multitude of problems, and that handouts and emergency meals do not address the deeper causes of homelessness, the HOPE Program offers counseling and support, job readiness training, and education.

Operation Spring Plant, Oxford, North Carolina – Is designed to create an opportunity for the region's limited resource, minority, and small family farmers to work cooperatively to sustain economic viability and to provide an environmentally safe food product to consumers.

Women’s Venture Fund, New York, New York – Expands entrepreneurial opportunities for women and prepares them to assume ownership of progressively more complex enterprises.

LIFETIME, Berkeley, California – Empowers low-income parents to determine, pursue and achieve their goals for education, employment, and economic security.

For more information about the awards contact: WHY at 505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018, telephone: 212-629-8850, website: www.worldhungeryear.org Applications for this year will be available in May 2000.

Y2K FOOD RECOVERY TIP

Food banks and pantries, including America’s Second Harvest, are reaping the benefits of a successful transition into the new millennium. They are conducting food drives to collect foodstuffs that were stockpiled for the possible problems that did not arise. Join them!

For more information: http://www.secondharvest.org/aboutash/y2k.html

SCHOOL BREAKFAST PILOT PROGRAM

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is planning a three year, free school breakfast pilot program geared towards kids of all economic backgrounds. This program will evaluate outcomes such as academic achievement, school attendance, classroom behavior, and dietary status of the students. Participating in the program will be a diverse selection of schools according to economic conditions, geographic location, and size. Applications must be sent to your State Child Nutrition Director by January 31st 2000. The selection will be made by April 1st.

For more information: USDA Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Director Alberta Frost, 3101 Park Center Dr. #503, Alexandria, VA 22302, telephone: 703-305-2017 website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/menu/sbppilot/sbpnotice.htm

UPCOMING CONFERENCES:

JUST FOOD SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The first day is a forum for food-system activists and organizations to meet, build understanding, share goals, explore opportunities to work together, develop concrete projects, and take action. The second day is focused on food system activities and information for everyone. The conference will be held at New York Technical College, Brooklyn, NY on January 21 - 22, 2000.

For more information: Just Food, 625 Broadway, Suite 9C, New York, NY 10012 telephone: 212-677-1602, website: http://www.justfood.org/html/conference.html

UNITED WE GROW-COOPERATIVES CONFERENCE

United We Grow is a working conference for small-scale vegetable and food cooperatives in the Northeast. The purpose of this conference is to strengthen existing co-operatives, foster new co-op development, and promote networking and organizing. This two-day conference will be held March 1 - 2, 2000 at the Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center in Mt. Bethel, PA.

For more information contact: Julie Meyer 413-665-7725 website: http://www.smallfarm.org

URBAN AGRICULTURE IS IT FOR REAL?

What do the studies say, who’s doing it, who’s actually making money at it? What are the obstacles and what really makes it work? A conference to discuss these issues will be held at Penn Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA on March 6, 2000.

For more information: Sally McCabe at Philadelphia Green/Penn Horticultural Society telephone: 215-988-8846 or email: smccabe@pennhort.org website:http://www.libertynet.org/phs/