Equitable Access: Building Sustainable Communities in NE Florida

Equitable Access: Building Sustainable Communities in NE Florida Advocacy A Voice for Northeast Florida Neighbors Who Need It Most Equitable access builds thriving, sustainable communities Improving Health Outcomes For Our Area Feeding Northeast Florida is the region's leader in ensuring our neighbors have access to healthy food while bolstering the food system to build sustainable and thriving communities. Our organizational and programmatic priorities reflect the diverse citizens, assets, and economic drivers represented in our 12-county service area. Feeding Northeast Florida's advocacy efforts focus on maximizing impact for everyone in need of our services, our partners, and all the stakeholders that shape the food system. Our policy agenda is responsive to the rapidly changing needs of our community. Local Efforts Feeding Northeast Florida will continuously utilize current quantitative and qualitative data on hunger and other social determinants including the lived experiences of our neighbors, community stakeholder input and programmatic feedback to focus locally on: Education - Educating local officials in every county about ways the Food Bank impacts communities in their area. Partnerships - Advancing public/private partnerships that enable innovative food procurement and distribution methods. Prescriptive Nutrition - Building strategic partnerships with stakeholders and partners in our region to enhance prescriptive nutrition and nutrition security initiatives that improve health outcomes. Workforce - Developing collaborative workforce training and job skills programming that address the root causes of hunger. Rural Communities - Working with rural communities to identify innovative and community-building solutions for food access challenges. Local Food - Advocating for local food system economic development strategies to promote local food resiliency through localized markets and shorter supply chains. State Efforts Feeding Northeast Florida's 2025 state advocacy efforts will focus on increasing access to and removing barriers for safety net programs administered by the Florida Department of Children and Families to ensure that those we serve receive support through allocated federal funding and legislation. SAPG (Surplus Agricultural Products Grant) - Encourage the Florida Department of Children and Families to adopt strategic administrative and eligibility policies that improve access to nutrition programs. Workforce Development - Support legislation that strengthens workforce development and job skills training in sectors that impact the food system such as culinary education, farming, warehousing and logistics. Legislation - Support legislation that enhances access to healthy, nutritious food focused on: improving SNAP eligibility for adult learners enrolled in college, other secondary and technical education courses and assisting those exiting the criminal justice system in accessing support in re-entry. Federal Efforts Feeding Northeast Florida's 2025 federal advocacy efforts will focus on strengthening programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that both food banks and those we serve receive support through funding and legislation. Farm Bill - Support the passage of a strong Farm Bill that enhances nutrition programs and mitigates regulatory burdens for those seeking assistance. TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) - Ensure The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) receives robust funding to support food banks during times of supply chain disruptions and inflation. Congress - Encourage Congress to pass meaningful legislation to improve and expand child nutrition programs, ensuring broad access to nutritious meals for children in urban and rural communities. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) - Advocate for policies that fully fund and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation's largest hunger-relief program. Veterans - Increase support for veterans and military families to eliminate food insecurity among those who serve and have served our country.