Hazon Bay Area: Thank you

We want to thank you and our incredible Bay Area community for supporting our regional office over the years. From 2006 – 2015, Hazon Bay Area has provided Jewish Outdoor Environmental Education (JOFEE) programs, thought leadership, and community partnerships to organizations and individuals in the region. Our work has included six annual Ride and Retreat weekends that welcomed over 340 riders and raised $560,000 to support our vision, mission and our mini-grant program, three Bay Area Food Conferences that reached more than 1,400 participants, piloted Home for Dinner, a synagogue-based family meals initiative, and much more.

Over the past year, among other projects, we’ve developed and published Fit to Eat – Food Security and Justice Resource and Action Guide, a resource for Jewish institutions to self-organize actions that deepen and broaden efforts to create a more just, fair food system; launched and implemented a Shmita-inspired Do-It-Yourself (DIY) series for young adults; mobilized collaborative conversations around food security among area partner organizations, and provided seed funding for several food justice-inspired projects.

Most recently, we held our 3rd annual Jewish Food Festival, Farm to Table: Eating for a Sustainable Future, at the Oshman Family JCC (OFJCC), a fun-filled afternoon of learning and hands-on doing for the whole family. This free celebration of the Jewish Food Movement featured local, healthful food, crafted by people who were treated fairly and grown or produced in a way that promoted a sustainable and diverse environment; exciting cooking demonstrations, interactive workshops and a hands-on food security mitzvah project to provide nutritious food for local families in need. Over 400 individuals and families visited our farmer’s market vendors and exhibitors at the OFJCC and an additional 200 students and staff attended a panel on food justice at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto. Check our Facebook page for photos!

As you may know, Hazon Bay Area will be transitioning at the end of this month to a decentralized model and will no longer have a regional office.This bittersweet transition is a strategic move to support our national priorities as well as our local JOFEE partners. We aim to continue to develop a presence in the Bay Area through Hazon’s JOFEE Fellowship program. In 2016, JOFEE Fellows will be placed at Wilderness Torah, Urban Adamah and the Oshman Family JCC and will continue to develop Hazon’s/JOFEE work within these Bay Area organizations.

Though our Bay Area staff roles are changing as a result of this transition, we are looking forward to staying part of the Hazon family and larger JOFEE community. (Drisana will be continuing to work as a non-profit consultant and grant-writer, particularly in the Food Justice/Security sector; Nia will be an ENGAJ Fellow and continuing her work as a Jewish Educator in the South Peninsula.)

As of November 1st, you can reach us at:
Drisana Davis: drisana.davis@gmail.com
Nia Taylor: nia.taylor@gmail.com

Thank you for being part of our Hazon family. We hope to see you at one of our many other programs across the country. Please be in touch with Judith Belasco, Chief Program Officer at Hazon (judith.belasco@hazon.org), if you have any questions or to be connected with Hazon’s national resources.

Warmly,

Drisana Davis, Director, Hazon Bay Area
Nia Taylor, Food Fellow, Hazon Bay Area

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