Re:Write
STORIES FROM THE FIELD, PROMOTORA RECIPES, AND CO-OP DEVELOPMENT LESSONS (PLUS SOME POLITICS AND HUMOR, TOO)
The Buying Club Becomes the Westwood Food Co-op
Re:Vision and residents of Westwood have been hard at work to launch the Westwood Food Co-op. This is the first co-op of its kind--started, owned, and operated by a community living in a food desert.
On June 9th, membership will finally be open to the public.
We've got big news. As many of you already know, for the past year Re:Vision and residents of Westwood have been hard at work to launch the Westwood Food Co-op. This is the first co-op of its kind--started, owned, and operated by a community living in a food desert.
On June 9th, membership will finally be open to the public. And we want you to be our first members and help launch this incredible initiative. To be the first to know when sign-ups are ready, register here and we will keep you updated on everything right in the moment.
The Re:Vision Buying Club began as a way to lay the foundation for the Westwood Food Co-op. We have spent our time seeking out the best possible farmers, ranchers, and producers for the purpose of building a regional supply chain. We have worked to build a customer base through various drop-off locations in the city. And we've worked to raise awareness amongst incredible supporters like you about local healthy food.
We will continue to do all of this to ensure a successful launch. But Buying Club is about to become so much more.
Re:Vision will soon be handing over the Buying Club to the Westwood Food Co-op. Because of this switch, we will be changing the structure of the Buying Club to support this positive growth and ownership. When we began, we waived the membership fees to introduce the initial benefits of the Buying Club to a wider scope of customers, including the Westwood community. On June 9th, all Buying Club members will need to become members of the Westwood Food Co-op in order to continue ordering.
Becoming a member of a co-op is an exciting and important step towards a new type of business relationship. You have the chance to build the first grocery store with a lasting effect in a community that needs it. No longer are you simply a customer. You become a member-owner.
The Westwood Food Cooperative has the enormous potential to impact the local communities surrounding Westwood, Denver's urban agricultural landscape, and the way the country approaches food co-ops at large. You are the building blocks from which we will collectively create wealth and increase food access in a sustainable way.
So stay tuned for the June 9th launch! Sign up for more details on how you can become a founding member of the Westwood Food Co-op!
How to love the Rain (Hint: It Involves Chili)
It is difficult to imagine working in your garden or strolling through the farmer's market when it's a cloudy and rainy 40 degrees outside. It's mid May and despite the recent snowfall, we have the warm taste of summer on our lips. But the reality is that I am currently wearing a heavy scarf and much of our staff is covered in muddy compost.
Denverites,
It is difficult to imagine working in your garden or strolling through the farmer's market when it's a cloudy and rainy 40 degrees outside. It's mid May and despite the recent snowfall, we have the warm taste of summer on our lips. But the reality is that I am currently wearing a heavy scarf and much of our staff is covered in muddy compost.
Don't get me wrong, this rain is so very good for us! We have a city full of thirsty yards and gardens that need some love, and thankfully things are looking as green as the north coast around here. So what do we, as spoiled, sunshine-loving Denver dwellers do in the meantime to cope? Some of us hit the climbing gyms, watch an unhealthy amount of Netflix, work more, finish those six books we started in the dead of winter, and pull back out the flannels and wool socks.
Some of us cook. Many of your would agree that dreary days like these call for comfort food and the Re:Vision Buying Club is an awesome resource! Included to help you get through this week is a recipe using our ground elk meat from Frontiere Natural Meats. For all the vegetarians out there, substitute some of our pinto beans, black beans, or rice to fill you up!
Enjoy!
Megan
P.S. And if all of this didn't cheer you up, start looking forward to our newsletter next week - we've got some big news to share!
Elk Chili
INGEDIENTS
4 tablespoons Golden Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 lbs. Frontiere Meats Ground Elk (thawed)
4 (4.5oz) cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
375 ml red wine
1 large onion, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
5 Re:Vision Garden garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Golden Organics Raw Cane Sugar
DIRECTIONS
Heat heavy stock pot w/ 2 tablespoons oil. Add ground elk and cook until meant has browned. Remove meat to separate bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent and soft. Add 1/2 bottle of red wine to pot to deglaze. Add cooked meat, tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, and water. Simmer for 2-3 hours, finish your book, and stir intermittently between chapters.
I encourage you to add other seasonal veggies to the chili like hearty winter greens! Soups and chilis are great for packing in all kinds of veggies on the verge of going bad.
Garnish with Rocking W White Cheddar Cheese, hot sauce, cilantro, or any other goodies you can find!
The Art of a Thoughtful Grocery List
A couple weeks ago, my partner and I were doing our usual weekly grocery shopping at Vitamin Cottage. When we went to check out and unload our cart, the cashier said, “You guys stocking up for the month?” “No”, we replied a little sheepishly, “These are our groceries for the week.”
A couple weeks ago, my partner and I were doing our usual weekly grocery shopping at Natural Grocers. When we went to check out and unload our cart, the cashier said, “You guys stocking up for the month?” “No”, we replied a little sheepishly, “These are our groceries for the week.” The total rang up to about $135 and was a plethora of different veggies and fruits (probably around 20 lbs.), a whole organic chicken, a pound of grass-fed beef, two cans of coconut milk, a variety of tea, nuts, peanut butter, milk, bread, and some other stuff I can’t remember. This was not the first time we’ve experienced amazement from fellow consumers at the amount of groceries we buy. Almost every week during check out, shoppers (holding their small handful of goodies) look incredulously at our weekly bounty.
In addition to what we spend at Natural Grocers we also buy $30-$40 worth of goods from Re:Vision’s Buying Club as part of our weekly grocery shopping. We order from the Buying Club each Sunday some of the goods that we would otherwise buy at Natural Grocers like local organic meat, olive oil or beans. The prices are even lower than what we pay at Natural Grocers and I know that the money I spend at the Buying Club is helping to create access to healthy food for residents in Denver’s food deserts. It’s a win-win. I get the same amazing food from the Buying Club that I would at Natural Grocers and I’m helping to create a local sustainable food system where everyone (not just people like me) can access healthy food.
It’s just the two of us, so why do we need all that food? Don’t you waste a ton? Nope! Before we head out to the grocery store, we put in a little time to plan the week’s meals and figure out what ingredients we need to buy to make those meals. We have very little food waste, filling less than one 20-gallon trash bag per week and composting the veggie scraps or giving them to our chickens. $175 for a pair may seem outrageous at first glance, but let’s break it out. That’s $87.50 per person per week, $12.50 per day for each person, or a about $4.16 per meal. More importantly to us, these $4 meals are made with 100% organic, healthy goods!
One of the big motivators for me to write this blog is to address the shift in American food culture over the last 30 years. Namely, Americans are spending less and less of their income on groceries and more on eating out. As a nation, we spend less on food than any other county in the world. Incredibly, this March the Commerce Department released data showing that for the first time in US history, sales at restaurants and bars surpassed spending at grocery stores! Jarrod and I budget $100 per month to spend on food and beverages outside the home. This averages to about 1-2 meals at restaurants, 1-2 happy hours and the occasional coffee. We work to be cognizant of our consumer habits. We don’t feel deprived; we allow ourselves the occasional treat if we want to meet up with friends or need coffee to get us through a Monday. The key phrase here is “occasional treat”. We choose to make restaurant outings more of a fun experience rather than a regular habit.
You can make significant cost savings if you shift more of your food budget from restaurants to groceries. On average, Americans eat between 4-5 meals out per week. The average cost of a lunch out is $10 compared to a home-cooked lunch that only costs $4. This means that if you eat out just one time less a week, you’ll save about $315 annually! And that’s just the savings from lunch. This doesn’t take into account the typically more expensive dinner and happy hour spending. Cut one of those outings and you’re looking at much more significant savings. Not to mention the fact that home cooked meals are usually healthier because you have control over the quality of ingredients and how much salt, sugar, and fat you add.
“Wow, you guys must feel amazing!” the Natural Grocers cashier said as he took stock of our cart amassed with vegetables. One of the toughest things about convincing friends and family to eat out less is that it’s nearly impossible to convey the benefits to your physical and mental wellbeing that cooking healthy food affords. I’m afraid that the majority of people are accustomed to feeling like crap because of what they put in their body, and because they have no point of reference to know differently they don’t see the value in spending more on groceries. They haven’t experienced how healthy eating can transform the way you feel—more energized, stronger, more alert, positive and focused.
A phrase I often hear from friends and colleagues when I tell them about my eating and cooking habits is, “I don’t have the time or skill to cook at home.” It will take some small behavioral changes and a little more time, but you can do it incrementally and eventually it will become second nature to you. For example, try to set a goal of swapping one of the nights you typically eat out and plan to cook a meal at home. Cooking is not hard. Sure, it is harder than driving through Burger King, but there are a billion simple, quick and healthy recipes online that everyone is capable of doing. You just have to give it a try and get creative about how you make time to cook. I truly believe the time is out there for most of us, we just need to reexamine our priorities. Instead of spending hours shopping at the mall or watching movies all night, distribute some of that time to planning and cooking some healthy meals that will ultimately raise the quality of your life. My spouse and I spend about 20 minutes meal planning on Sundays to create the week’s menu. Most nights, we spend around 30 minutes making dinner and cook enough for our lunch the next day. It’s likely that this is less time many people spend driving to different restaurants for lunch and dinner, parking, and waiting for their meal. I also allot a couple weekend hours to make a meal or two to freeze for those weeks we’ll have late meetings and know we won’t feel like cooking when we get home.
Cooking together is fun and relaxing. I look forward to coming home and preparing and eating a meal with my partner; we use this time to debrief about our day and unwind. This is a great time for families to spend together and revive the sacred time of preparing and sharing food that is integral to everyone’s wellbeing and cultivates a healthy relationship with food and family. The way we eat is a lifestyle and is guided by our ideals and priorities. We care deeply about the health of our bodies, earth and the ethical treatment of animals and people locally and globally. If you care about these things too, I recommend cooking more meals at home and eating out less. Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Claire
P.S. Please check out this excellent article that includes an overview of why buying quality food matters: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/01/america-food-spending-less
P.P.S. I challenge you to try meal and grocery planning this week. Sit down for 20 minutes before you go out to get groceries and plan some meals for the week and create a shopping list of ingredients you need to buy to make those meals. If you need some inspiration, check out this week's Buying Club list and put in your order today!
It Starts With The Soil
Life is a beautiful thing. It can be found everywhere - all around us. The massive mammals roaming the Earth, the countless species of birds with their feathers rustling through the breeze, the labyrinth of complexity that is the rainforest. Yet to me, the life I can’t see is the most inspiring.
Life is a beautiful thing.
It can be found everywhere - all around us. The massive mammals roaming the Earth, the countless species of birds with their feathers rustling through the breeze, the labyrinth of complexity that is the rainforest. Yet to me, the life I can’t see is the most inspiring. The most important, the most overlooked. Scientists say in one teaspoon of soil there are over 2 billion - read that again, b-illion!! - living organisms. Speak to any farmer and they’ll tell you soil is what determines how well their crops grow. Sure, weather and moisture play their parts, but without the nutrients, the minerals, the bacteria, fungi, the worms and so forth who all turn those nutrients and minerals into food for the plant roots, no amount of sun and water will make a seed become a productive, fruit-baring plant.
So we started with the right soil - custom-mixed potting soil containing coconut coir, worm castings, and other micro-organism heaven stuff. We wanted the best to start 20,000 seedlings that would find their way to 400 families’ backyard gardens. The seedlings sprouted wonderfully, reaching out for the lights above and exploring deep into their tiny starter-cells for all the food their roots could find. They couldn’t have looked stronger and healthier. But just as life is beautiful, it is often fragile. Soon after potting up the first batch of tomatoes and peppers, spider mites struck - killing many plants, and our lack of infrastructure led many more to ‘dampen off’ from over watering.
We started a seedling hospital, and today many look as though they might pull through, but we made the tough decision to cancel the seedling sale. We wanted to ensure we’d have enough plants for those 400 families who will be relying on them for a large percentage of their food come harvest time.
We’re bummed to have to pull back on the 3rd annual seedling sales, but we know its the right thing to do, and we’re excited about the response of our community of supporters so far. Already one gentleman has taken it upon himself to go around to nurseries and get donations of plants - what can you do to help us ensure we have the best possible plants for our families? Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for donating.
Not Adios But Hasta Luego
Do you know what is a hard thing to write?
A blog announcing to you all – my friends, my partners, and my heroes, that I am leaving Re:Vision.
Do you know what is a hard thing to write?
A blog announcing to you all – my friends, my partners, and my heroes, that I am leaving Re:Vision.
It’s hard, because I think about a conversation I had with a backyard gardening family (in my broken Spanish), who explained to me how tough it is to both hold down a job and care for their sick daughter. But when they talked about their backyard garden, they smiled because, as they explained, they could finally feed their daughter healthy, affordable food.
It’s hard because I think about what it felt like to sit in a meeting recently with Paul Washington, Denver's Director of Economic Development, and hear him say that cooperative business models are one of the best strategies for narrowing the wealth gap in Denver. I glow knowing that Re:Vision’s work is pioneering that strategy.
It’s hard because I think about when I visited 3738 Morrison Road just a couple of weeks ago - five months after Re:Vision purchased the property. Instead of the junkyard it had been for the last few decades I saw a clean property with buildings gutted. The site is ready and waiting to become the home of the Westwood Food Cooperative and a much-needed gathering space for food, health, and community enterprise. I felt immediately that Re:Vision is on to something that will transform this community and Denver.
The most difficult part is that I know Re:Vision is going through a remarkable ground-breaking growth, packed full with real substance, and I won’t be here to see it every single day. Inspired by this place and these people, I am pursuing my lifelong dream of starting my own consulting business. There will still be many opportunities to work with Re:Vision, so it’s not a goodbye - not even close.
Re:Vision has changed me, the way I look at my work, and the way I look at community planning and development in general. We must start with the people who know their own problems best. We must equip them with the tools to leverage their own resources toward sustainable solutions. This type of community development takes a tremendous amount of patience and dedication, but it works.
No one can verify this more than Eric, Joseph and Patty, three of the most dedicated people I know. Eric and Joseph believe so wholeheartedly in what they're doing, that they moved into the Westwood area to be full-time members of the community. Patty, Re:Vision’s lead promotora, spends many weekends attending quincineras and weddings of Re:Farm families - out of the goodness of her heart, not because she’s getting paid. These three heroes live, eat and breathe Re:Vision's mission every moment of every day.
Even though leaving at this time is hard, there is no question that Re:Vision will continue to soar. And whoever takes over my role will be beyond lucky to have the opportunity to fly with this organization.
I hold this one particular thought for the future near and dear, an image in my mind that I know will be a reality soon:
It’s 2017, and I am shopping in the Westwood Food Co-op with my kids. We are members. We purchase vegetables grown on site, beef raised sustainably 60 minutes away, and jelly made by Westwood residents. We wave to a couple of Promotores who are teaching a class on canning and pickling. After we finish shopping, we head outside to the public plaza. Kids are playing in the plaza, with parents chatting nearby, enjoying a beautiful day. I see Eric and Joseph and hug them. I can’t stop beaming with pride.
A Fresh Look at the Buying Club
My name is Megan and I am the Food System Coordinator at Re:Vision. I am writing to you to introduce myself, and answer any and every question that you may have about the Buying club. It's my job to deliver the best local products I can find, and to support you and the incredible community here in Westwood as we launch the food co-op!
Friends!
My name is Megan and I am the Food System Coordinator at Re:Vision. I am writing to you to introduce myself, and answer any and every question that you may have about the Buying club. It's my job to deliver the best local products I can find, and to support you and the incredible community here in Westwood as we launch the food co-op!
So let's get started...what is the Buying Club exactly? And why do we keep telling you to sign up?!
The Buying Club is a program where you can purchase local specialty items (like yogurt, cheese, and eggs!) online, and your order helps us offer the same food at low cost in Denver's food deserts. We want you to sign up, because in YOU - our friends and partners and members - we are laying the foundation for the coop. That's right. The Buying Club helps us establish our producer and distribution channels, and build a client base. That's the big picture. And in supporting the buying club, you are also helping us build these food systems for Westwood. It's very cool, and I am excited to have you become a part of it. So, in summary, by joining the Buying Club...
- You have access to a unique variety of locally sourced meats, dairy, eggs, and more.
- Your purchase gives the Westwood community the option to purchase healthier food for their families.
- You help strengthen the local food system as you encourage your own community to shop responsibly.
- You are the building-block to help successfully launch and sustain the Westwood Food Co-op.
Want to help us build it? Tell us the kind of products that YOU would like to see!
Take two minutes to fill our our product survey here, and not only will you receive a code to get 10% off of your next order, but I personally will take all of your answers and do my best to go out and get the products that you want to see featured in the buying club!
Here are five NEW products that I'm excited about, and my new favorite recipe!
Smoked Buffalo Frittata
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
12 Boulder Natural Eggs
½ c. whole milk
¾ c. Rocking W White Cheddar or Pepper Jack
Salt & Pepper
2 Tablespoons Royal Crest Butter
½ medium onion, chopped
½ lb. Continental Bison Bratwurst links, casings removed
1 ½ - 2 c. local vegetable of choice
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Mix in ½ c. cheese and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat butter in large skillet, preferable cast iron, over medium heat. Add onion and chorizo and cook until sausage is brown, 6-8 min. Add vegetable of choice; season with salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender.
Reduce heat to low and pour egg mixture over vegetables. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until edges are just set, 10-12 min. Top frittata w/ remaining ¼ c. cheddar; broil until top is golden and center is set, about 4 min longer.
Serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a green salad!
Thanks for reading! If you would like these kinds of updated delivered to your inbox weekly, don't forget to sign up for the Buying Club, it's free!
A Virtual Grocery Store Feeds A Food Desert
I remember when I was ten-years-old, I looked through the pantry, and bemoaned “Mom, why can’t we have sugar cereal like everyone else?” My mom’s commitment to eating healthy was by no means cool when all I wanted to eat was Lucky Charms and fast food.
“Mom, why can’t we have sugar cereal like everyone else?”
“Someday you’ll understand and care about what you put in your body.”
This was an average conversation with my mother as a child. Her commitment to eating healthy interfered with my dream of a bowl of Lucky Charms in my lap while watching Saturday morning cartoons, followed by a happy meal for lunch.
When I was finally able to shop for myself, I unleashed all the years of pent-up hunger for sugary cereals, sodas, and processed foods. However, it was a short-lived affair as I quickly recoiled from the way my new diet made me feel…
Sluggish. Bloated. Tired. Restless. Agitated.
I soon found myself shopping at the same health food stores that previously embarrassed me – the ones that I would get dragged into while kicking and screaming. With echoes of my mom’s voice in the back of my mind, I quickly eliminated processed foods again and started shopping for fresh, organic produce like she taught me.
The problem was, I realized that I couldn’t really afford it.
While on an average shopping trip, it dawned on me: if this was difficult for me – a young college student with a decent paying job and very few bills – how could families who were struggling to make ends meet shop for healthy foods? This realization was one of the many big sparks that led to the passion of Re:Vision. I soon had a growing desire to make sure that everyone has the right to eat healthy food that they can afford.
I live in Barnum. When I moved in, I was immediately immersed in the day-to-day struggle of my neighbors to eat healthy. With next to no options for a grocery store nearby, I found myself trekking up to 15 minutes to the nearest Whole Foods Market. I again found myself thinking about the majority of the families in my neighborhood – I was privileged to have the means to get to the grocery store of my choosing, and the financial means to purchase the freshest and healthiest foods available. This made my grocery bags feel even heavier each time I unloaded them from my car.
At this point, Re:Vision had started over 168 gardens in the surrounding area, and families were eating healthier. But it wasn’t enough. We needed to have a healthy grocery store that was accessible and affordable. That, however, was not feasible without millions of dollars. And that would be years away.
Thinking back to my childhood, I remembered that my mom bought meat from a local farmer through an organic buying club. We bought a lot up front and it lasted the year, which cost far less than shopping at the store. Best of all, there was no store - we picked it up from a nearby family’s house. Soon, the idea of a ‘virtual grocery store’ in our neighborhood started to make sense to me. As long as there were convenient locations to pick-up, and an easy way to order and pay, why couldn’t it work?
It wasn’t the grocery store the community needed, it was the groceries.
In late 2014, Re:Vision began building relationships with local farmers, food producers, and distributors. By purchasing bulk orders and warehousing the items, we are able to buy at wholesale prices, and because we don’t have all the overhead costs of a traditional brick and mortar grocery store, we can pass the savings on to our customers.
This model of ordering can help increase the access and affordability to the healthiest food for families in a community that stands to benefit the most.
Our efforts have provided a lot of opportunities for learning: the relationship between farmers, producers and consumers is often convoluted with too many people in the middle. People’s shopping habits are hard to break (or change). Running a food business is not for the faint at heart. The best intentions to source local can sometimes go under. Despite all of the challenges in building a food system that benefits both farmer and consumer, Re:Vision remains steadfast in its belief that everyone has the right to healthy food. We strive to develop innovative models that are led by communities and work for communities.
I am happy to say that our Buying Club has re-launched with a new online platform that showcases the best food you can find from local farmers and producers. We’re starting small, but it’s a giant leap forward in a community that doesn’t have a grocery store.
My reflections on how lucky I was to grow up with healthy food - and how that has set me up for success as an adult - motivate me to provide that opportunity for the children of Westwood, where they suffer from the highest rate of childhood obesity in the city.
I hope that you, too, can take a moment to reflect on your relationship with food.
If you want to eat healthier, Re:Vision’s Buying Club is a great place to start. And if you have had the privilege of eating healthy, then I hope it will motivate you to become a supporting member, geared with the knowledge that your participation supports others less fortunate to have the same opportunities.
If you would like to sign up now (and get your $35 membership fee waived!) here are 3 Easy Steps:
- Visit our online store
- Click "Request an Account"
- Browse the variety of natural, organic and local meats, dairy and grains that we have carefully selected from Colorado producers.
Re:Vision's 7th Birthday & A Big Announcement!
Wow, how time flies! Today we celebrate our 7th birthday AND a $1.2M grant! We are one step closer bringing the Westwood Food Cooperative to fruition, and we couldn't have done it without YOU.
Seven years ago, I sat in my favorite coffee shop (Kaladi Bros near DU), highly caffeinated but perhaps more jittery by the excitement of the moment. My college friend, Joseph Teipel, and I were signing the paperwork to incorporate Revision International with the state of Colorado.
We were young - I was 25 and Joseph only 21 - and we had no business starting, well, a business. Coming out of college we both wanted our life's work to make a difference in the world.
But how?
Not seeing an organization that we wanted to work for, and not wanting to accept another unpaid internship, we did the logical thing - we started a nonprofit that represented our ideals and we set out to conquer the world! Failure seemed almost inevitable as we had no money and no idea of how to run an organization. However, both of us embraced that we would make mistakes along the way. If we failed, we’d at least gain some valuable experience, right?
Today I am pinching myself at the realization that it is our 7th birthday - what an incredible experience it has been!
What began as a dream and an aspiration to create a new model of community development has slowly become a reality. Looking forward we see that we have a long way to go. But looking backwards at how far we’ve come, I am proud yet humbled by the journey.
It is with great excitement that today, on Re:Vision’s 7th birthday, we officially announce our biggest news to date - the City of Denver’s Office of Economic Development has awarded Re:Vision a $1.2M grant to acquire property for the future home of the Westwood Food Cooperative!
The Westwood Food Cooperative, located on Morrison Road, will be the first food cooperative in the country that vertically integrates low-income, urban food producers with value-added food processing and a retail food outlet. This community wealth building approach is truly unique as it creates a for-profit business, owned by the people growing the food, and then shares profits with the community it serves. Read more about it here.
Future site of the Westwood Food Cooperative Grocery Store, Food Hub & Commercial Kitchen
You may have also recently noted our new logo. Earlier this year we went through a rebranding to emphasize the place-based community work of our organization. We decided to part ways with the International aspect (really it was in name only) and dig our roots deep into the Westwood and southwest Denver communities. Our new brand represents our evolution and maturation as an organization, reinforcing a bold vision on the horizon that is rooted in the most humbling element of all, the soil.
Over seven years we’ve have had many successes but also many failures too. At the end of the day, we are slowly making strides to turn around one of Denver’s most underserved communities and transform it into a model of health, self-sufficiency and resiliency.
Having been embedded in every step on this journey over the past seven years, I sometimes find myself looking down at my feet on the trail instead of looking up and appreciating the scenery. Today is a good reminder to be thankful of all the people that have helped Re:Vision along the way - donors, volunteers, friends, mentors, supporters, community members, board members, staff, interns, partners, even those people with whom we’ve had disagreements. It’s also a good reminder to stop once in awhile and celebrate.
Cheers!
Eric Kornacki, Executive Director and Co-Founder
Zip Code Blues
While many people are turning to genetics to learn more about their health and propensity for disease, a growing field of study shows that your zip code is equally - if not more - important.
Does where you live determine how long you will live? There’s no doubt about it. Research by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and more locally, from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) confirm that yes - the life expectancy of one county or zip code to the next can differ by years, or even decades. For instance, life expectancy in Denver County is 5 years less than the Colorado average. Disparities among Denver neighborhoods are even more shocking - here in Westwood and surrounding neighborhoods, for example, people live on average 12 fewer years than the Denver average of 75 years.
This concept has been the topic of discussion in many public health forums recently. From op eds in the Denver Post by Colorado Health Foundation president and CEO Ann Warhover, to a presentation by The California Endowment’s Dr. Iton at a Health Equity Learning Series event sponsored by The Colorado Trust, public health experts are actively examining why this unsettling trend is occurring and what to do about it. (If you are into slam poetry, you might prefer to listen to Clint Smith’s chilling description of life expectancy in his own Washington, DC zip code.)
The fact is, policies and politics shape neighborhood resources. Your neighborhood may have plentiful resources – a variety of homes that people can afford, good schools, parks, safe streets and grocery stores. In places where policies and politics don’t benefit the community, sometimes just a few blocks away, neighborhood amenities are sparse, inadequate and substandard. Per Dr. Iton’s argument, living with few resources causes a cycle of unsafe or undesirable living conditions, stress, poor lifestyle choices, and chronic disease - ultimately resulting in early death.
In partnership with organizations like The Colorado Health Foundation and LiveWell Westwood, Re:Vision has been helping residents in food desert neighborhoods of Southwest Denver work to solve their “zip code blues” by inspiring residents to take the lead in advocating for their community’s health and by teaching families how to grow their own food. As a result of our Re:Farm program, thousands of low-income Denver residents have improved their access to healthy foods as well as their relationship with food. Re:Farm participants claim that they not only eat healthier, but also, overall, feel better about their futures.
This past spring, Re:Vision became one of The Colorado Trust’s 34 Health Equity Advocacy grant recipients. We have spent the summer convening regularly with the Trust and other grantees to discuss this very zip code issue, and how we might build a stronger collective “field” of health equity advocates to better shape public policies that support healthier communities. Re:Vision is proud to work with the diverse organizations at the table to help promote the Colorado Trust’s mission of advancing the health and well-being of the people of Colorado. Stay tuned for additional posts related to Health Equity Advocacy as we advance through this process. We hope to share the wisdom we have gained and keep the discussion flowing...
100 New Friends in Celebration of Spring
This spring, become a Friend of Re:Vision and help provide critical year-round support for our vital programs. Your gift will be matched 100% up to $10,000. Plus, all new donors will be entered to win a GoPro3 Camera!
In many cultures worldwide, springtime traditions and festivals (e.g. Easter, Passover, India’s Festival of Colors, even Chinese New Year) are rooted in agrarian societies’ celebrations surrounding a new growing season. For urban farmers and backyard gardeners, each May begins a new year – a joyous time of digging, compost, dirt under fingernails, planting seedlings, and most of all hope. Hope that each new sprout poking through the soil will turn into something yummy, beautiful and nutritious.
Friends of Re:Vision are our monthly supporters. They are the lifeblood of our organization, because they provide us with dependable year-round support for our vital programming. Becoming a Friend of Re:Vision is easy – simply make a monthly contribution of $10 or more.
This May we have set a goal of attracting 100 new Friends of Re:Vision. And now - the top five reasons why you should help us meet this goal.
NUMBER FIVE. Denver, like many American urban cities, suffers from major health disparities - most notably in poor communities and communities of color. Your gift will support Re:Farm Denver, Re:Vision’s flagship program, that teaches low-income families how to grow their own food. With your gift, you will expose thousands of people in marginalized neighborhoods to the many benefits of eating healthy, community- grown produce.
NUMBER FOUR. You care deeply about supporting the local economy, building a sustainable city with equitable opportunities for all its residents, and creating healthy neighborhoods. Join the many respected organizations that have done their research and chosen to support Re:Vision in these very efforts: the Colorado Health Foundation, The Denver Foundation, USDA, Slow Money, The Colorado Trust, the Anschutz Family Foundation, and more.
NUMBER THREE. Re:Vision recently helped community members incorporate the Westwood Food Cooperative (WFC) – Denver’s first community-owned food cooperative and one of the first in the nation that sources produce from small-scale urban farmers in low income neighborhoods. By supporting Re:Vision and the WFC, your gift puts healthy food on the plates and extra income in the pockets of the people who need it most.
NUMBER TWO. All Friends of Re:Vision as of June 1, 2014 will be entered to win a GoPro HERO3+ camera. And who doesn’t want a GoPro?
NUMBER ONE. Every dollar you commit to donating in May 2014 will be matched 100% by a generous gift from the Parmar Family and Ardas Family Medicine, up to $10,000!
Don’t miss out on this chance to double your donation and your impact on the community.
Don’t miss out on your chance to win a GoPro Camera!