Today, October 24, is Food Day in the twin cities of Lewiston-Auburn, as well as nationally. Earlier this week, Mayor Robert Macdonald of Lewiston and Mayor Jonathan LaBonte of Auburn issued mayoral proclamations to declaring it so. (Links to the Proclamations are included at the end of this post.)
The Mayors are attention to local activities and resources aimed at improving access to good food and good health. Food Day is celebrated across the country to support policies that advance healthier diets, promote sustainable and organic agriculture, reduce hunger, reform factory farms, and support fair working conditions for food and farm workers. With Food Day, we can celebrate our food system when it works and fix it when it’s broken. Food Day is a time to think about how we might improve policies that affect all people’s ability to access good food. Each of us can effect change in our own lives; increased exercise and paying attention to what we eat. However, many people do not have access to healthy food.
Organized in the summer of 2012, the Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn is made up of representatives from a variety of sectors and hopes to facilitate solutions that will result in long-term change. The Council spearheaded a Community Food Assessment (CFA) for Lewiston-Auburn that was completed in 2013. The report concluded that to address the multiple challenges of access, affordability, and availability faced by the residents of the twin cities the cities must come together and become engaged advocates. The Mayoral Proclamations draw attention to the importance of the work. Mayor LaBonte also issued a Food Day proclamation last year.
Deborah Burd, Chair of the Council, explains, “The Council seeks to knit together existing efforts so that the important work of local organizations and programs can be amplified, and will work to foster collaboration to address the many challenges outlined in the CFA. Support of local governments and the Mayors of Lewiston and Auburn is crucial to taking the next steps and the Council is appreciative of their involvement.”
Read the full Community Food Assessment (CFA) or the executive summary, here.
Read the Mayoral Proclamations about Food Day 2014 for Lewiston and Auburn.
Be sure to celebrate Food Day by attending an event near you or in a multitude of other ways! Locally, a one-act play called “Hunger Pains” will be showing tonight and Sunday the 26th in Auburn, find our more information on our Events page.