Community Advisory Board
We’re nourishing the impact of our work and programming with community input
Our Community Advisory Board (CAB) serves as a space for folks, primarily BIPOC, to safely share their opinions, ideas, and solutions without judgment, for how they envision their communities to thrive.
The monthly meetings are centered on their lived experiences to enhance community engagement and social cohesion, with Fresh Approach simply facilitating the space and humbly listening to understand how to implement their ideas into action through our programming.
“I’ve been involved with Fresh Approach for about 7 years. One of the activities I am involved as CAB member is to attend to meetings with other CAB members and Fresh Approach staff. We share our experience and ideas how to have a food system for our community. We are the voice for our community needs. One of the things I enjoyed is being in meetings and talk about all needs that our community have. And look how to resolve a better plan.”
Balvina Ramirez, Community Advisory Board Member
MEMBERS
Balvina Ramirez | Blanca Perez | Celeste Perez | Dee Williams | Gloria Gonzalez
Hilda Martinez | Jeanne Yu | LaShara Johnson | Olga Perez | Patricia Ordonez
Rosario Gonzalez | Salvador Castaneda | Trisha Cabrajal | Vanessa Reeves
PURPOSE
- Uplift voices in our community and offer more space and time to community members who have been historically marginalized
- Incentivize leadership opportunities for community members
- Provide transparency about the organization’s processes – while also allowing it to be community driven
- Gain better insight into the needs and desires of the communities that we work with by understanding their lived experiences
- Support long-term solutions towards dismantling racism by uplifting community-created and equitable solutions
- Invite a participatory analysis of the work we do at Fresh Approach and facilitate community members having more decision-making power toward the development of our programs
- Serve as a pathway for CAB members to join the Fresh Approach Board of Directors
“The thing I love most about being a Community Advisory Board member is meeting other gardeners in the community who I normally would not have met or interacted with. With the regular attendees, it feels like a small family. I also like getting to know the FA staff and helping FA in its mission.”
Jeanne Yu, Community Advisory Board Member