Marin Agency Launches “Five Minutes for Food” Conversation

As we approach the holiday season, Community Action Marin’s Five Minutes for Food initiative, part of its overall Good Food for All campaign and commitment to food security, invites Marin County residents to reflect on the meaning and importance of healthy, nutritious, and good food for all. The campaign centers well-being through food security and increased equity through simple actions for food justice.

The Good Food for All digital advocacy campaign begins with a five-minute Food Justice video that shares community stories through first-person interviews with staff, community members, and partners. The agency’s efforts are designed to help people understand the challenges to the food ecosystem in Marin and highlights the innovative programs addressing the area’s food needs. The video is accompanied by a Community Discussion Guide, which will generate increased understanding of the inequities and food insecurity within the county, spark a dialogue, and inspire people to take action for greater well-being.

Importantly, the campaign also invites the Marin residents to gather together and take #FiveMinutesforFood on the Thanksgiving holiday later this month, recognizing the challenges the holiday poses for Native Americans and First Nations peoples, while celebrating our shared humanity around food and connections in community. During this time, family and friends can watch the short video, talk about what it means to share gratitude for healthy food, and act to support access to good food for all. It may be shocking to some to learn that even in Marin, one of the nation's wealthiest counties, about 1 out of every 5 residents (and 1 out of every 3 seniors) is food insecure. Even before the pandemic, hunger and malnourishment were realities for too many due to the high cost of living here.

“The original idea behind Five Minutes for Food was to encourage a dialogue, in just a short amount of time, about the importance of food in our lives and what we can do together to make healthy, good food accessible to everyone in our community. We are seeking to inspire people to get involved by supporting efforts to increase food security and have a conversation about food justice and what that means for all in our shared community.”explains Community Action Marin CEO, Chandra Alexandre.

Community Action Marin makes taking action easy by providing both the video discussion guide, along with an Outreach Tool Kit (including emails and social media posts), that people can download from the Community Action Marin website and use to inspire others.

“(In) Marin County, the reputation is that this is a very well-to-do county...but there's also a very significant population of poverty, and that population is hidden in particular neighborhoods. Those individuals in those neighborhoods make up the backbone of this community. They're the ones who are at our gas stations, and our grocery stores, and maintaining landscaping, and even our teachers.” explains Monique Liebhard, VP, Children & Family Services at Community Action Marin

Community Action Marin already has several key partners in the county’s food support system, including the County of Marin Healthy Eating Active Living initiative, Agricultural Institute of Marin, Marin Food Policy Council, and the SF-Marin Food Bank. These partners helped re-establish Marin Food Day, contributed ideas for how individuals and families can support food justice, and reached out to their own networks to support Marin and the Five Minutes for Food initiative.

Community Action Marin’s Food Justice team advocates for well-being across generations through its programs including emergency food boxes, and fresh, organic meals in their Head Start and high-quality preschools for over 550 children, in addition to community food distribution that includes produce from the Production Farm. Their early childhood educators also teach children about healthy eating and support the agency’s learnings gardens and production farms filled with nutritious, healthy food. The agency’s Central Kitchen offers space and training for those seeking a food industry career or food entrepreneurship. Learn more about Community Action Marin’s Food Justice program at camarin.org/food-justice

ABOUT COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN: Community Action Marin is the largest nonprofit social services provider in the county, working for over 50 years to alleviate the causes and consequences of poverty. The agency fosters self-sufficiency and serves over 20,000 individuals annually across program sites and through mobile outreach to ensure the unhoused are safe and connected. The agency's service areas include Children & Family Services, Safety Net, Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development, Mental Health, Food Justice, and Equity Initiatives. Visit camarin.org to learn more.