Voices in Food Equity: A Gathering of Emerging Leaders
Join us at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke on May 24
Hatfield, MA – May 17, 2023 – The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts will host Voices in Food Equity; A Gathering for Emerging Leaders on Wednesday, May 24 from 5:00pm – 7:30pm at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke. The cost-free event is designed for anyone who is passionate about advancing food justice and creating a more equitable food system for the people of Western Massachusetts. Voices in Food Equity will feature speakers, networking, and learning to create awareness about food equity and advance initiatives that help end hunger in the region.
Featured speakers include:
Ileana Marie Carrion – Ileana is a young professional working in public health. She has been dedicated to the Western Mass community, ensuring residents can obtain adequate health resources and healthy culturally relevant foods. Ileana previously worked for the City of Holyoke Planning & Economic Development office.
Representative Pat Duffy – Representative Pat Duffy is the state representative for the city of Holyoke.
Liz O’Gilvie – Liz is a self-described 60-year-old black produce farmer and wanna-be Public Health policy wonk based in Springfield Mass. While developing 40 Acres Farm as a cooperatively managed venture, Liz serves as the director of the Springfield Food Policy Council and the interim director of the youth driven, urban agriculture organization Gardening the Community.
Ashley Sears Randle – A fifth-generation dairy farmer, Ashley was sworn in as the twenty-first Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) by Governor Maura T. Healey on March 6, 2023.
Lee Drewitz – Lee has served for over the past ten years serving Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties of Massachusetts, and Erfurt, Germany on empowering members of our community to build a sustainable life for generations of their family.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Visit https://www.foodbankwma.org/events/voices-in-food-equity/ for more information.
Voices in Food Equity is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors: Instacart, Norcom Mortgage, Alekman Ditusa Attorneys at Law, Sun Bug Solar, and Rovi Homes.
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About The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts:
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts believes that everyone has a right to healthy food regardless of their circumstances. Serving Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties, The Food Bank leads the region’s food assistance network of 160+ independent, local food pantries and meal sites, distributing nutritious food to households with lower incomes. Since 1982, The Food Bank has been providing individuals facing hunger with the food they need to survive and partnering with the community to create lasting solutions to food insecurity by addressing its underlying causes. The Food Bank is committed to creating a western Massachusetts where no one goes hungry, and everyone has access to nutritious food. For more information, visit foodbankwma.org.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider, and employer.
Media contact:
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Deb Ondo, Communication and Engagement Manager | 413-419-0170 | debo@foodbankwma.org