Dear Food Justice Supporter: DBCFSN Second Annual Year-End Fundraising Drive.

Dear Food Justice Supporter,

The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) is in the midst of our second annual year-end fundraising drive.  I am reaching out to DBCFSN members and supporters to ask you to make a donation to help make our fund drive a success.

As you know, we have labored for nearly six years to contribute to the public dialogue about food security and food justice in Detroit.  We continue to operate D-Town Farm, which recently expanded from two acres to seven acres and serves as the Detroit area Regional Outreach Training Center for Growing Power Inc.  We continue to play a leadership role in the Detroit Food Policy Council and in efforts to address racism in the food system.  We recently completed the second year of our “What’s for Dinner?” Lecture Series co-sponsored by the Detroit Public Library.  Our Food Warriors Youth Development Program encourages young people to eat well, exercise and become active participants in changing the food system.  Our Ujamaa Co-op Buying Club presents an alternative method of obtaining high quality food at below retail prices.

We have undergone tremendous growth over the past year.  We have transformed from an all-volunteer organization to having a small but powerful full-time staff. We were assigned an Emerson National Hunger Fellow to conduct a feasibility study that will inform plans to transform our monthly buying club into a healthy foods co-op store.

We are asking our friends and supporters to make a special year-end donation to the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network to help us deepen and broaden our work. Our plans for 2012 include:

·       Extending our outreach efforts to those in Detroit’s Black community most impacted by food insecurity. 

·       Expanding the sites for our Food Warriors Program.

·       Launching our “Take it to the Market” initiative that will put D-Town Farm products in local retail stores.

·       Developing a business plan for our healthy foods co-op store.

      We appreciate all donations from $10 to $10,000.  DBCFSN is a 501c3 non-profit, so all donations are tax deductible.  Your generous donation will help us continue making progress towards achieving our goals.  Donations can be made on-line at our website (www.detroitblackfoodsecurity.org), or can be mailed to:

Detroit Black Community Food Security Network

3800 Puritan

Detroit, MI 48238

We appreciate your support and look forward to the opportunity to continue serving our community in the upcoming year.

Respectfully,

Malik Yakini, Executive Director