Edible Community: The Healthy Damascus Food Plan
Purpose:  The purpose of the Kaiser Permanente “Healthy Food Access” grant is to prepare a Healthy Damascus Food Plan to ensure that the regional food system is protected and enhanced; identify challenges and opportunities to improving the community-based food system and provide a venue for community building, collaboration, coordination and support around healthy food and a healthy community through:
• Data and existing resource collection and analysis
• Identifying food policy and active living goals and policies
• Food and farm planning
• Developing a plan to close identified gaps in access to healthy foods to the community
There will be three (3) phases.  Each one will use community and technical expertise to build policies, plans and projects that will help increase access to food in the Damascus-Boring area.  The outcomes may be policies to encourage urban agriculture, land use designations that support food provider location, establishing a farmer’s market, better access to fresh produce in local stores, healthier food choices, increased access to Meals-on-Wheels for seniors/disabled, school and community gardens and more.

2. Grant Schedule

a. Phase I   Sept. 2011 – Aug 2012
• Objective 1 - Assessment of existing community conditions around healthy food access
Assess the health of the community and food access priorities.  This includes a food environment and demographic inventory.
Activities /Tasks:
• Recruit stakeholders for Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
• Review/refine work program
• Review existing data, identify gaps
• Select assessment tools
• Create/train residents to conduct surveys/assessments
• Develop Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)among TAG re: scope of work
Deliverables
• Assessment reports
• 1-2 community workshops
• 3 TAG meetings
• Objective 2 – Determine feasibility and readiness to address healthy food access issues.
Activities /Tasks:
• Conduct Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Policy Scan of existing policies and practices in the City of Damascus.
• Conduct key informant interviews with City staff/agencies on existing policies and program/project opportunities.
Deliverables:
• Policy scan
• Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) best practices policy resource guide
• Interview report
b. Phase II - (Sept. 2012 – August 2013)
• Objective - Develop community engagement framework and conduct outreach
Activities/Tasks
• Organize a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to develop outreach strategy to share assessment findings.
• Host 2-3 community outreach events using community food discussions to share materials, results of assessments and gather public input on potential policy solutions to address access to healthy foods, such as farmer’s market, fresh foods in convenience stores, increasing participation in Meals-on-Wheels for seniors, etcetera.
Deliverables:
• 2-3 community outreach events
c. Phase III- (Sept. 2013 – August 2014)
• Objective - Develop and adopt the “Healthy Damascus Food Plan”.
Activities/Tasks
• Reconvene the TAG for guidance, along with that provided by the CAC, on developing the Healthy Damascus Food Plan (HDFP) elements.  The Plan is to align with other City plans and strategies (i.e. future Comprehensive Plan)
• Develop the implementation strategies for the HDFP
• Develop distribution and communication plan with CAC and TAG
• Present HDFP and recommendations to community & public agencies
Deliverables
• (2-3) CAC and TAG meetings
• (1-2) Community forums to disseminate HDFP recommendations and gather public input
• Formal adoption of HDFP by City Council

3. Technical Advisory Group

a. Agendas
Notice-1 Agenda
b. Minutes
Minutes 12-1-11
c. Background Materials
• Meeting packets
1  Meeting Packet  

• Links
1. Council Packet with Grant Summaries & Staff Report 
2. City News with Kaiser Grant article 
3. Community Food and Access: The Local Government Role (ICMA, 2006) 
 

4. Volunteers Needed

a. List of volunteer opportunities
• Volunteers will be needed over the course of the Kaiser Grant timeline.  Specific needs include: Community Advisory Committee members, help with data gathering and entry, event organizing, community outreach, staffing booths and more
b. Contact Elise Scolnick, Senior Planner:  escolnick@damascusoregon.gov, (503) 658-8545
c. Email Elise