Your voice makes a difference: ENACT 2015
May 13, 2015 Michael R. DimockYour voice matters in policymaking, but you can’t be heard unless you speak up! We invite you to join others who are asking the state Legislature to create a statewide Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant Program through this action alert. We need as many Californians to email in their support by May 22nd, so share it with your networks for an action that will only take two minutes!
In addition to the California Food Policy Council’s support for this budget proposal and the complementary bill (AB 1321), on May 6th, Californians from all corners of the state came together in Sacramento to lend their voices and experiences toward building a state where access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity are available to everyone at ENACT Nutrition and Physical Activity Day.
Capacity building, education and hands-on experience is what brings California Convergence (Convergence) to ENACT year after year, and why Convergence members support the Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant Program. Convergence’s Coordinating Office, a project of the Public Health Institute, supports a network of community organizations, government entities, advocacy groups and resident leaders, including youth, who work together to promote, lead and advocate for healthier communities across the state. Convergence activates its vast network to support community-driven policy change, because we believe that fairness in the policy process leads to healthier people and stronger communities.
This year, Convergence members got to mobilize at ENACT Day in support of AB 1321. Increasingly, Convergence resident leaders have raised concerns around how to increase access to markets and points of sale that offer healthy, fresh produce. The bill’s author, Assemblymember Phil Ting from San Francisco, came to ENACT Day to rally the group before participants were trained on three other key prevention issue areas and how to run a legislative visit. One ENACT participant from San Diego underscored the need for the Nutrition Incentive Matching Grant Program as the daughter of a farming family that sells their produce at farmers’ markets in her community and others with high numbers of EBT recipients.
But, events like ENACT Day or capitol visits at California Food Policy Council statewide meetings should only be the start to continued policy decisions between community members and their state representatives. Most Assemblymembers and Senators spend their Fridays in the district, a standing opportunity to ensure your voice is heard in the district office. Keep the momentum going today and sign the budget petition for nutrition incentives and share with your networks!
This week’s Capitol Update brought to you jointly by Justin Rausa from ROC and Kristania de Leon from Convergence.
