Black Church Feeding Families Facing Closure!

After a long day at work, a mother thinks about what she will serve her family for dinner. It’s nearing the end of the month, so money is tight. She stops by the neighborhood corner store because there are no supermarkets nearby. The store doesn’t have fresh fruits and vegetables; she’s limited to purchasing canned beans and vegetables. As she leaves the store, she remembers the neighborhood church started a food garden, so she stopped by to pick up fresh vegetables.

That church is a member of the Black Church Food Security Network and works to address food insecurity in Jacksonville. Many of these churches are in low to moderate-income communities where access to basic needs is not in walking distance for families who lack reliable transportation.

The money we raise will directly go towards solving structural issues where the cost far exceeds what they have available for making critical fixes. If this money is not raised, this church which played a major role in the civil rights movement in Jacksonville risks closure, leaving a significant void in the community and the neighbors who depend on it.

The Black Church Food Security Network of Jacksonville (BCFSN) was formed in early 2022. The BCFSN was established to interrupt the charitable food model and get churches to start growing food on their grounds so our communities can gain food independence and control over where their food comes from. In just a few short months, 18 churches joined the network. The churches have cultivated their soil, gathered pots and seeds, harvested their first bounty to share with their neighbors and motivated their congregants to start growing food in back and front yards.