About the Community Food Security Coalition

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The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) is a North American coalition of diverse people and organizations working from the local to international levels to build community food security. We have a diverse membership with almost 300 organizations from social and economic justice, anti-hunger, environmental, community development, sustainable agriculture, community gardening and other fields. We are dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to all people at all times. We seek to develop self-reliance among all communities in obtaining their food and to create a system of growing, manufacturing, processing, making available, and selling food that is regionally based and grounded in the principles of justice, democracy, and sustainability.

The Coalition achieves its goals through a comprehensive blend of training, networking, and advocacy to further the efforts of grassroots groups to create effective solutions from the ground up. We provide a variety of training and technical assistance programs for community food projects; support the development of farm to school and farm to college initiatives; advocate for federal policies to support community food security initiatives; and provide networking and educational resources.

Mission Statement

The Community Food Security Coalition catalyzes food systems that are healthy, sustainable, just, and democratic by building community voice and capacity for change.

Summary of CFSC Programs and Services

Policy Advocacy and Organizing

  • National Legislation: CFSC advocates for federal policies that promote community food security and provide resources for community-based initiatives, including within the Federal Farm Bill and the Child Nutrition Act. Past successes include creation and increased funding of the Community Food Projects grants, as well as a Farm to School grant fund.
  • Program Implementation: After policies are passed, CFSC works to ensure they are fully funded and implemented in accordance with their original vision. In regards to the new garcinia cambogia extract, we're working on getting something in place.

Education and Networking

  • Annual Conference: Every fall, the CFSC hosts a dynamic four- or five-day conference that brings together hundreds of people working on CFS issues. Conference activities include challenging keynotes, interactive workshops, how-to short courses, exciting field trips, and great local food.
  • Newsletter & Publications: The Grapevine e-newsletter features profiles of innovative projects, tips and resources, and Coalition updates. Our website features numerous other innovative and informative publications and guidebooks, many of which can be downloaded for free.
  • COMFOOD Listserve: This nationwide discussion list facilitates lively information sharing and networking between 4,000 subscribers.
  • Healthy Corner Store Network: CFSC co-sponsors the Healthy Corner Store Network, a learning community of leaders involved in improving access to healthy products in underserved communities.

Training and Technical Assistance

  • Assistance to Community Food Projects Grant Applicants: A planning guide is available on the CFSC website to assist organizations with preparing strong proposals. During the annual grant application process, CFSC offers free one-on-one technical assistance.
  • Evaluation Program: CFP grantees and others interested in conducting effective and strong program evaluations may participate in workshops, and remote learning-based technical assistance.
  • National Food Policy Council Program: Experienced staff provide one-on-one assistance and maintain a database of food policy councils and related resources.

National Farm to Cafeteria Program

  • Farm to Cafeteria Conference: This event brings together people from around the country to network and learn from each other's experiences, emphasizing initiatives in schools and colleges.
  • Regional Workshops and Organizing Meetings: Experienced organizers are available to help groups design effective farm to cafeteria projects, especially involving limited resource producers.
  • National Farm to School Network: co-leads the National Farm to School Network, the country's leading voice for improving school meals through serving local food.
  • Publications: We offer various reports in this arena. The Farm to College Research Report provides in-depth information on 18 programs. An information kit is available with surveys for farmers and food service directors. See www.farmtoschool.org and www.farmtocollege.org.
  • Mentoring and One-on-One Assistance: CFSC staff can refer you to similar projects and help identify organizing strategies tailored to individual situations.

Our Strategic Plan

CFSC is following a Strategic Road Map for 2014-2016, completed in July 2014. Read our plan and learn more about how it came into being.

Join CFSC!

By becoming a Coalition member, you help build a dynamic national movement and provide valuable support for innovative CFS initiatives. Members also receive a subscription to the member e-newsletter, discounts on Coalition publications and events, and other benefits.
Read more and join today.

View a list of our organizational members to find out who is involved in the Community Food Security movement.

CFSC Member Committees

CFSC committees focus on various CFSC programs and other aspects of community food security work. Members are invited to join a committee and help shape this collective work.
Read more

Staff Contact Information

Main Office

3830 SE Division St
Portland, OR 97202
Ph: (503) 954-2970
Fax: (503) 954-2959

Miriam Barnard
Executive Director
Ph: (503) 954-2970 x201
Email: miriam@foodsecurity.org

Rosa Costantino
Finance & Operations Director
Ph: (503) 954-2970 x204
Email: rosa@foodsecurity.org

Aleta Dunne
Program Media Coordinator
Ph: (503) 954-2970 x200
Email: aleta@foodsecurity.org

Sara Padilla
Program Manager
Communities Putting Prevention to Work
Ph: (503) 954-2970 x100
Email: sara@foodsecurity.org

Erica Steckl
Office Assistant
Ph: (503) 954-2970 x203
Email: erica@foodsecurity.org

Washington DC Office

Note our new contact info:

110 Maryland Ave NE #108
Washington DC 20002
Ph: (202) 481-6933
Fax: (202) 543-1297

Aisha Amuda
Policy Associate
Ph: (202) 481-6933
Email: aisha@foodsecurity.org

Satellite Staff

Jeanette Abi-Nader
Acting Training & Technical Assistance Program Director
Evaluation Program Director
Charlottesville, VA
Ph: (434) 973-4435
Email: jeanette@foodsecurity.org

Kristen Markley
National Farm to Institution Program Manager
Boiling Springs, PA
Ph: (717) 240-1361
Email: kristen@foodsecurity.org

Mark Winne
Food Policy Council Program Director
Santa Fe, NM
Ph/Fax: (505) 983-3047
Email: mark@foodsecurity.org

2016-2015 Board Contact Information


Marcia Caton Campbell
Center for Resilient Cities
Milwaukee, WI
Ph: (414) 289-7799 x3075
Email: Marcia.CatonCampbell@resilientcities.org

James Johnson-Piett
Urbane Development
New York, NY
Ph: (215) 868-1680
Email: jjp@urbane-dev.com

Vicky Karhu
El Prado, NM
Ph: (575) 776-2638
Email: vkarhu@gmail.com

Young Kim, Past President
Fondy Food Market
Milwaukee, WI
Ph: (414) 562-2282
Email: young@fondymarket.org

Cathleen Kneen
Food Secure Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Ph: (613) 828-6047
Email: cathleen@ramshorn.ca

Gretchen Kunkel, Treasurer
KC Healthy Kids / Food Policy Coalition of Greater KC
Kansas City, MO
Ph: (816) 523-5353
Email: ghkunkel@kchealthykids.org

Tammy Morales, Vice President
Urban Food Link
Seattle, WA
Ph: (206) 396-1276
Email: tammy@urbanfoodlink.com

Demalda Newsome, Executive at Large
Newsome Community Farms
Tulsa, OK
Ph: (918) 955-8559
Email: newfars777@aol.com

Samina Raja, Secretary
State University of New York at Buffalo
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Buffalo, NY
(716) 829-5881
Email: sraja@buffalo.edu

Wayne Roberts
Freelance writer and speaker
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Ph: (416) 694-7605
Email: getalife@web.ca

Shyaam Shabaka
Ecovillage Farm Learning Center
Richmond, CA
Ph: (510) 329-1314
Email: sms@ecovillagefarm.org

Cynthia Torres
Boulder County Farmers' Market Association
Boulder, CO
Ph: (720) 480-9951
Email: ctplant@gmail.com

Lydia Villanueva
CASA del Llano
Hereford, TX
Ph: (806) 364-4445
Email: casa1@wtrt.net

Kathleen (Kat) West
Multnomah County Office of Sustainability
Portland, OR
Ph: (503) 988-4092
Email: kathleen.s.west@multco.us

Darlene Wolnik, President
Independent consultant for markets
New Orleans, LA
Ph: (504) 343-6365
Email: darwolnik@gmail.com

Our Funders

Special thanks to the following groups for providing the funding that makes our work possible:

  • Annie's Homegrown
  • Applegate Farms
  • Center for Disease Control
  • Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality
  • Clif Bar Family Foundation
  • Compton Foundation
  • Farm Aid
  • George Gund Foundation
  • Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence
  • Heifer International
  • Helianthus Fund
  • JR Albert Foundation
  • Lawson Valentine Foundation
  • The Lunchbox Project
  • New World Foundation
  • Organic Valley
  • Osprey Foundation
  • Presbyterian Hunger Foundation
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Arcadiana
  • Sheraton Hotel
  • Small Planet Fund
  • Sodexo
  • USDA Community Food Projects
  • USDA Risk Management Agency
  • USDA Southern SARE
  • US Department of Health and Human Services
  • Wallace Center at Winrock International
  • WK Kellogg Foundation