On July 15, 2021, Come to the Table hosted the seventh and final session of our 2021 School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling (SFJFS). Faith leaders from across North Carolina participated in this session, which was held virtually and featured RAFI-USA senior program manager and policy team chair, Margaret Krome-Lukens.
This session began with participants reading two different case studies and discussing in small groups how they would respond in each situation. The case studies allowed participants to utilize their storytelling skills to re-frame negative narratives of hunger and food insecurity. After a break, Margaret Krome-Lukens presented on the power of lobby visits. Margaret emphasized that one does not have to be a policy expert to be an effective advocate and that our democracy is strengthened when invested community members speak up. Margaret provided information on how to prepare, organize, and execute a lobby visit and gave participants resources, including a series of blog posts RAFI-USA released on the topic. The session concluded with a review of previous sessions and guided reflection on what has been meaningful and challenging about SFJFS.
The 2021 School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling has concluded. Stay tuned for information about future cohorts and join the RAFI-USA email list to learn about upcoming application rounds. If you are interested in learning more about the SFJFS, contact Michelle Osborne at [email protected].