|
|
|
Connecticut » Connecticut Association for Human Services » End Hunger Connecticut! Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New York Rhode Island Vermont National |
Building a Community CoalitionIdentify Essential Community Partners and Build a Coalition One of the key ways to successfully increase participation in a community’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is to identify essential community partners and form a coalition that can work together to achieve your goals. If a coalition of community partners already exists, be sure to join this group. These collaborations will serve as the primary vehicle for engaging the community and ensuring that hungry children can access free meals when school is not in session. The types of partners that could be helpful to your work include:
Each of these members can play a distinct role in either introducing the SFSP to their community or expanding an existing program. However, keep in mind that each community operates differently, and the mix of partners and the roles that they play within the coalition will vary from one community to the next. Designate Potential Roles Within a Coalition
Convene a Meeting Gathering community partners with the purpose of discussing the SFSP will enable you to communicate the importance of the program and explain how it works. Make sure to ask local elected officials to co-host the meeting, as this demonstrates their support for the program and helps draw community members to the meeting. The agenda can include a presentation about hunger in the community as well as a discussion regarding areas of need and strategies to increase local participation in the SFSP. Make sure that each attendee has a role in either starting up or expanding the summer meals program in their community. While some participants will become a site or sponsor, others can help with outreach. Coalition Building Examples from the UPS Project Prior to the UPS Project in Middletown, CT, there were strong doubts within the community as to whether the SFSP would be financially and logistically viable in the future. The sponsor’s support for the program had been dwindling for years due to difficulties financing the program and staffing the sites. Thanks to the work of End Hunger Connecticut!, community support and involvement in the SFSP led to renewed spirits during the summer of 2007. As a result of this community effort, four new sites were added, five sites extended the length of their program, and two sites provided an additional meal. The coalition’s involvement in the SFSP also led to higher expectations for sites with more programming and better participation. At one of the sites a local congregation provided weekly activities. The sponsor also sought supplemental grant funding from local community bank foundations for the hiring of open site supervisors, rather than relying on student interns or volunteers for primary site responsibilities. This move undoubtedly raised the level of safety at the sites. Community partners in Middletown included the newly formed summer food outreach subcommittee of the city’s hunger task force, the Parks and Recreation Department, school food service department, food pantries, Parent Teacher Association, local Board of Education, WIC Office, community health center, teachers, churches, city officials, and community service and non-profit organizations. In Amsterdam, NY, the SFSP did not exist before 2007. The Nutrition Consortium of New York State established the community connections necessary to build the SFSP from the ground up. The Nutrition Consortium reached out to a state legislator from the Amsterdam area who sent one of his staff members to the initial SFSP planning meeting to help raise the level of importance of the meeting. The Nutrition Consortium also partnered with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and held the initial planning meeting at City Hall in Amsterdam, thereby heightening the importance of the meeting and the need for the SFSP in Amsterdam. As a result of the Nutrition Consortium’s work with these and other community partners, the SFSP had a successful first summer in Amsterdam. Sample Documents Sample Mayor Budget Letter Learn More About the UPS Project |