When the COVID-19 public health crisis began in early March 2020, it profoundly affected the food system. The SFPC responded to the pandemic in various ways to help coordinate a regional response to a global crisis.  To help our partners, key stakeholders, and community members navigate the resources that were available to them at the time, we created a comprehensive master database of local food producers, pantries, and supporting food-related resources to help coordinate response efforts. 

We also began holding weekly emergency food resource meetings over zoom for our SFPC Members-at-Large. These weekly meetings provided an opportunity for community organizations to come together to continuously identify and remedy service gaps. The SFPC continued to host these emergency response meetings well into the summer of 2021, when we finally were able to shift to a bi-monthly schedule. The needs of our communities were still great, but our ability to communicate effectively with core partners had been enhanced by technologies we built and put into place, such as the Southcoast FoodAlert listserv and Food Finder.

We remain incredibly grateful to all of our partners who have worked tirelessly with us every week for nearly two years to assess, provide, and respond to the COVID-19 emergency. 

With our SFPC Community Advisory Board (CAB) in place working on the current needs and priorities, we will begin a new model for engagement with our SFPC Members-at-Large. Beginning in January 2022, we will host quarterly meetings that are open to the public and are recommended for anyone interested in building a regional food system that is resilient and inclusive of everyone. Our focus during quarterly meetings will be to provide updates and progress made by the SFPC’s CAB and working groups, opportunities to get involved, and ways you can take action as a food stakeholder and community partner.

The Quarterly Meeting schedule for 2022:

• January 6, 2022, at 9 am EST and will be focused on the recently completed 2021 Southcoast Food System Assessment.
  
• April 14 12 noon – 1pm
• July 7, 12 noon-1 pm
• October 13, 12 noon-1 pm

Click here to join:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83233982521

Meeting ID: 832 3398 2521 One tap mobile +19294362866