Dreaming Out Loud Will Work With Leading African Development NGO to Tackle Local Food Insecurity

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2013 - Africare, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. committed to improving the lives of people in Africa, has partnered with Dreaming Out Loud, a locally-based non-profit empowering under-served communities, to generate a greater awareness of food insecurity in the U.S. capital for World Hunger Day on Tuesday May 28, 2013.

Malnutrition affects almost 40 percent of children under 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa, but hunger is not restricted to the developing world. Approximately 37.4 percent of households with children in D.C. do not have enough money to buy needed food at some point during the year, which is the worst rate in the United States.

“Hunger is more complicated than a society lacking enough food. Serious crises and even famines can occur although sufficient food is available because people lack the means to access it or utilize it nutritiously,” explained Kendra Davenport, Africare’s Chief Development and Communications Officer. “Africare’s expertise lies in comprehensively addressing the food insecurity in Africa, but we recognize, despite climactic and cultural differences, that residents of the developed world and our neighbors in Washington, D.C., where we are headquartered, can struggle with similar hardships.”

Africare will be present at Dreaming Out Loud’s Aya Community Market on Saturday May 25 at the Southwest Waterfront, 900 4th Street S.W. Africare will also participate in the cleanup of Dreaming Out Loud’s future community garden site, 600 Delaware Avenue S.W., from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday May 28.

Dreaming Out Loud will also engage with Africare and the general public during Africare’s #Fast4Hunger social media campaign on World Hunger Day, Tuesday May 28 that will encourage a fasting pledge from participants – be it several hours or a day — to better grasp the plight of food insecure families who do not know from where their next meal will come. Participants can then share their experiences with Africare through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram messages using the hashtags #Fast4Hunger. Participants can take the #Fast4Hunger pledge by signing up on #Fast4HungerFacebook event page and downloading the #Fast4Hunger Challenge Toolkit.

“For far too long we have looked at Africa as a distant land, and far too often we look at our neighbors as if they are distant folks,” said Christopher Bradshaw, the executive director at Dreaming Out Loud. “With this partnership with Africare starts the process of bridging both of those gaps.”

In 2012, Africare implemented Agriculture & Food Security projects in 16 of its 19 project countries including Tanzania, where Africare interventions allowed nutrition services to reach more than 96,500 children, and Ghana, where Africare directly reached 2,000 farmers through training meetings and plot demonstrations and approximately 25,000 beneficiaries through outreach via newspapers, television coverage and educational, call-in radio broadcasts.

“Hunger knows no geographic borders, race, creed or color; nor do the systemic issues that cause this unnecessary human condition. Both in the United States and in Africa — across urban and rural communities — there exists an opportunity to write a new food future based on social and economic justice. The question is: will we fight for it? We know that the answer is yes. These two organizations are a part of the same fight. This partnership represents a reflection of shared values, centered on a belief in people’s ability to solve their own challenges and a commitment to service. We share a common focus on building the citizen sector through sustainable, healthy and productive communities, and we are excited to build a partnership into the future,” said Bradshaw.

For more information about the Africare and Dreaming Out Loud partnership please contact Brent Stewart at 202-328-5369 or bstewart@africare.org.

About Africare

Africare is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to addressing African development and policy issues by working in partnership with African people to build sustainable, healthy and productive communities. Since 1970, Africare has provided well over $1 billion of assistance and support through more than 2,500 projects in Agriculture & Food Security; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Women’s Empowerment; and Health, HIV & AIDS that have impacted millions of beneficiaries in 36 countries in Africa. Visit http://www.africare.org for more information.

About Dreaming Out Loud

Dreaming Out Loud’s mission is to design and implement innovative human development programs and high-impact social enterprises, within their ethical framework, that empower the potential in under-served communities. In service to communities they engage, Dreaming Out Loud commits to being a force of inspiration, character development and leadership capacity-building for youth, engaging youth and low-skill workers in education and workforce investment programs that build transferable 21st century skills, and creating sustainable employment opportunities that provide entry into the new “green economy” for low-income individuals. Visit http://www.dreamingoutloud.org/ for more information.

On Saturday May 4th from 9am-1pm we will open the first market day of the season for Aya Community Markets at Christ United Methodist Church (900 4th Street SW). We’ve worked hard in the off season to build new partnerships, deepen relationships, and develop a strong vendor base. Take a moment to learn about our farmers and other vendors.

From farm fresh eggs and chicken, locally grown produce, and refreshing hibiscus juices…we have worked to build a better Aya Community Markets. The atmosphere will be incredible with live cooking demonstrations by DC youth culinary training groups and great chefs; live music, poetry and other entertainment; and DC State Fair contests that will get the community engaged.

Be sure to spread the word and look out for more to come…

Hey folks,

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with March Madness.  College hoops was different when I was growing up.  In my day (the 90′s) there were stars like Allen Iverson and Ray Allen going head to head; whereas today’s game lacks the talent of yesteryear due the exodus to the NBA.  Nevertheless, the NCAA Tournament goes on and seems to recapture our heart with every new Cinderella team that advances past the pundits’ predictions.  About a year ago I was perusing Twitter and I came across an organization called Brackets for Good (BFG).  BFG is a nonprofit that hosts a tournament in which nonprofits raise dollars, or score points, in an effort to advance through the brackets to win $5,000 for their cause.

I could see multiple tweets about what looked like a cool fundraising tournament that some great nonprofits were competing in.  Interested, I tweeted to the organizers and I was able to speak with the Matts — Matt McIntyre and Matt Duncan — founders of Brackets for Good.  We talked about how Brackets for Good worksand I immediately knew that it could help Dreaming Out Loud and other organizations that I knew.  Register now so that on March 4th, when the tournament launches, you’ll be ready to ball hard for Dreaming Out Loud.

Can we count on you for 5, 10, or 20 points?  Any amount helps.  Winning $5,000 would help us to put $2,500 towards Aya Bonus Bucks, our matching incentive program that gives farmers market-goers a 1:1 match up to $10 for all SNAP/EBT, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Vouchers, helping to decrease economic barriers to fresh, healthy food.  That turns $2,500 into $5,000 worth of fresh produce for our low-income friends and neighbors.  The additional $2,500 would help to handle permits and other expenses as we expand Aya Community Markets to Benning Road Southeast and beyond.  We need you…let’s go be clutch!

Ball Hard,
Chris Bradshaw, Executive Director

On January 31st, 2013 we will gather to celebrate and support Dreaming Out Loud’s efforts to combat food deserts, provide safe spaces for youth, and strengthen communities through innovative social enterprises. “When Dreams Emerge: A Celebration and Fundraiser” is a night of fun, inspiration and affirmation. The Edison Pepco Gallery (701 9th Street NW) will host this occasion from 6-9pm, as we honor special guests who have contributed to the organization over our four years of making change in the District.

We are fortunate to have the White House News Photographers Association’s exhibit entitled “Executive Functioning: Through the Eyes of History” on display during our event. In honor of the inauguration, the exhibit features photographs of American presidents dating back to the association’s founding in1921. The night will also feature a screening of “Origin of Dreams,” a short documentary about our ethical framework called the Adinkra Symbol Ethics Mirror.  We will also have raffle items, live painting from Mas Paz, and a poetry performance.

Lite hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. There is a suggested donation of $10, but we will not turn anyone away.

Register today to help us further our efforts in 2013 as we:

• Launch a new farmers market location in Ward 7 serving nearly 3,000 people without equal access to health food choices.
• Continue building community and serve 5 public housing communities in Ward 6.
• Deepen our impact through youth programming.
• Begin urban farming projects near our markets.

We look forward to seeing you!
The Dreaming Out Loud Team

Dear Friend,

Do you remember when you were ten or twelve years old? What were you up to at 7:30am on a Saturday morning? Many of us, myself included, were often asleep or up watching cartoons. The photo you see tells the story of young people with a drive, curiosity, and work ethic we had the pleasure of nurturing over the course of eighteen weeks during Aya Community Markets, the farmers market that we founded.

Every Saturday morning these three young boys, along several other boys and girls, arrived to help open and close the market. They learned the value of work and developed strong character while setting up tents, carrying boxes, and raking leaves. They expanded their worldview while learning about and trying new foods. They kept food diaries, read books and watched films about healthy food, and were introduced to the concept of social business.

We were able to provide this safe space, learning environment and source of pride thanks to the support of people like you. In 2013, we will begin to grow food in a garden plot where we can engage more DC youth. We will also be opening a second market location in an underserved community in Ward 7, serving more than 3,000 people who do not have equal access to healthy food choices.  Among them are youth just like these. At Dreaming Out Loud, we cannot deepen our impact without you! So we ask for your generous donation to help us build healthy communities and a brighter future for DC youth. Are you with us?

Sincerely,

Christopher Bradshaw, Executive Director

Close your eyes and use your imagination with me…

Imagine you’re Tanya. A mother of four raising your children by yourself on an income around $21,000 per year. You have four mouths to feed on this salary, but when you walk outside your door, your options for healthy choices are few and far between: carry-out, fast food or a grocery store that’s either too far away, or doesn’t cater to your needs.

Grease coats the inch-thick glass at the carryout window where wings and fried rice are cheaper than a bunch of bananas. The smell of salty French fries wafts past, so its either enough fries for the family or half a bag of pota- toes that only feed a few.

Or you travel to a grocery store – with poor quality produce and half-stocked shelves – on public transit and you have to not only afford travel for yourself, but all of your children. No one is there to babysit and you have to haul food for the family on a bus or train, or worse, pay an exorbitant cab fare.

You can close the gap for people like Tanya when you support Dreaming Out Loud

We founded our farmers market and holistic health experience called Aya Community Markets to help people like Tanya. At our market we provide twice as many fresh fruits and vegetables for people receiving government assistance through our “double your dollars program.”

Our markets serve as gateways to community resources that low-income families need to get healthy and stay healthy. Our holistic approach includes experiential education, outreach and empowerment via chef demonstra- tions and nutritional programs. Local medical schools even help us to conduct screenings for diabetes, glaucoma, blood pressure and body mass index.

With your donation, Dreaming Out Loud can continue to make a difference through Aya Community Markets by engaging youth, positively impacting community health and by bringing greater access to fresh fruits and veg- etables to people like Tanya. Together we can turn lives and communities around.

Donate Now to help a community’s dreams emerge!

Help us to win a $5,000 gas card! In 2013 we’ll be expanding to an additional market location at the Elizabeth Ministry, a home for twenty-five (25) young mothers currently in the child welfare system. The Ministry offers them the opportunity to participate in a 5-year body of work aimed at developing, supporting, and nurturing them into becoming self-directed young adults.

In the coming months we’ll purchase a refrigerated truck to link produce from small farms with limited staff & distribution capacity to these markets, helping to provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables. A CITGO giftcard will greatly help us to serve a broader area & reach sustainability. Vote today!

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