Grassroots food coalition says it's ready for seats at the city table

It's been three years since the Indianapolis Community Food Access Coalition was established. Last week the coalition recommended new community members to a city commission. 

The city created the coalition to bring a grassroots approach to food access issues. Its purpose is to provide insight into the allocation of funds so that the money goes where it is needed.

That includes addressing food apartheid — the limited availability of healthy food in communities due to historical discrimination — in Indianapolis.

The coalition struggled to take off during its first few years. Coalition President Sierra Nuckols said that led to a top-down approach in deciding the distribution of grant money.

"There was no actual coalition, there was no actual body of people that was structured, that was able to give a voice to say, 'Hey, I don't believe in this grant,' or, 'Hey, I do believe in this grant,'" Nuckols said.

The group announced last week that it named four people for recommendation to serve on the Indianapolis Community Food Access Advisory Commission:

• Lashonda Mckinney, human services professional
• Alesha Taylor, regenerative farmer
• Sherdexia Yarde, agricultural economist
• Charles Hammons, educator and food activist

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett can appoint three of these people to the city commission to replace those leaving. In total, the commission will have 13 people serving on it.

Nuckols said having representation on the commission is an important next step.

"People that both work within food systems, and also people who have been affected by food apartheid, it gives them a voice in a space to be able to express the issues that they see pertinent in their neighborhoods and in their communities," Nuckols said.

The coalition will now begin accepting applications for members and the executive team.

"We're really excited to get out into the community,” Nuckols said. "And get more people at the table so that we can continue to expand our voice, continue to get more voices at the table and start doing the work."