<!-- Alternate content for non-supporting browsers --> <div id="pic-container" name="pic-container" style="float:right; width:310;height:225; text-align:right;background-color: white;"><img id="pic-rotate" name="pic-rotate" src="/news/newsletter/images/issue51/51-0.jpg" border="1" width="300" height="200" alt="Jason A. Harvey, founder & executive director of Oakland Food Connection, serving healthy snacks to youth in east Oakland." title="Jason A. Harvey, founder & executive director of Oakland Food Connection, serving healthy snacks to youth in east Oakland." /> <div id="pic-title" name="pic-title" style="float:right; margin: 0; padding: 0;"><font size="-2">Jason A. Harvey, founder & executive director of Oakland Food Connection, serving healthy snacks to youth in east Oakland. </font></div></div><script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">var pic_sel= new Array(); pic_sel[0] = new Image(); pic_sel[0].src='/news/newsletter/images/issue51/51-0.jpg'; pic_sel[0].alt='Jason A. Harvey, founder & executive director of Oakland Food Connection, serving healthy snacks to youth in east Oakland.'; var picnumb= 1; </script><font face='verdana,helvetica'> <i><b>A City of Villages : Donate to OFC TODAY!</b> <br />Jason A. Harvey, executive director, OFC<b> <p>Every cent counts toward making change in Oakland!</b></i> <p>Greetings OFC Supporters! </p> <p> Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us carry our vision and mission forward! It is because of you that we have been able to sustain our valuable community programs, even during this incredibly difficult time of economic recession. As we go into our 5th year, I am deeply grateful to each of you and continue to be inspired by your support and encouragement for the important work we are doing together. </p> <p> I’m proud to say that I grew up in what many people call “deep” east Oakland. As an indigenous resident, I am quite familiar with its pulse. During the past 25 years, I have watched my community slowly slip deeper and deeper into a health crisis that is gradually tearing it a part. Increasingly, there are fewer places for people to obtain healthy sources of food, safe places for youth to play or local job opportunities. Because of these claims to the health and well-being of our community, I founded OFC five years ago to as an organization to bring resources and investment into East Oakland and develop opportunities for youth and adults to be the drivers of our economy through education and food production. </p> <p> Our work continues to engage and inspire youth—building gardens at local schools, harvesting the delicious produce, cooking nutritious foods, and learning entrepreneurial skills through The Purple Lawn Cafe. The Oakland Community Farmers Market, founded by OFC in 2008, brings together local youth and local farmers, artisan bakers and other vendors of prepared foods, hand-crafted jewelry, soap, and other products to market their wares to a growing clientele. We receive many requests to build school gardens, more community farmers markets, to provide nutrition education services, as well as requests for food donations. In light of the ongoing economic crisis and cutbacks in services, we sincerely need your financial support to carry on the important work we have begun. </p> <p> You are part of our vision and our work. You can be proud that your investment in OFC contributes to the health and well-being of our community and helps build a more secure future for our youth and children. </p> <p> Please make a donation to us today. You may use our online PayPal tool: <br /> www.foodcommunityculture.org and click “Donate” or mail a check to: </p> <p> Oakland Food Connection <br /> 4173 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 10 <br /> Oakland, CA 94619 </p> <p> Thank you for your continued support! <br /> Jason Harvey <br /> Executive Director </p> <br /> <p> P.S. OFC’s work was recently featured in Oakland Local. Take a moment to read up on our contributions to east Oakland’s food system: http://oaklandlocal.com/article/two-big-firsts-oakland-community-farmers-market-saturday and http://oaklandlocal.com/blogs/2010/03/broad-turn-out-ec-reems-oakland-school-garden-project-march-20 . <br /> <p> </p></font>
