Marin City HEAL Collaborative Community Action Team (CAT): Led By MCCT

"Unity is the Foundation of Community"

Overview

As the County’s lead agency for the Marin City HEAL Collaborative CAT, MCCT embarked on a year-long community engagement process, focusing first on convening community stakeholders to agree to 3 equitable food system priorities and then developing a community engagement plan that involved at least 300 community members in evaluating those priorities.

We address equity and empowerment through food and promote healthy food systems through community-driven solutions and leadership.

Marin City CAT’s Work to Date

As noted in the Marin City CAT tagline, "Unity is the Foundation of Community", from May 2022-February 2023, MCCT held regular meetings with Marin City stakeholders and thought leaders, including members of MCCT’s staff who are lifelong Marin City residents, First Missionary Baptist Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Sausalito Marin City School District, Marin City Community Development Corporation,  and Marin City Community Services District.

Through these meetings, the Marin City CAT agreed to the 3 food system priorities to bring to Marin City residents for evaluation: 

1. Community Gardens - revitalizing existing gardens/creating a community garden collective (including workforce training)

2. Supporting Home Cooks and other food retailers in selling food for profit (i.e., commercial kitchen/storage space access & workforce training)

3. Obtaining and training Youth Health Educators to promote health, wealth and economic entrepreneurship development

   
   

MCCT’s community engagement process on the 3 priorities was extensive.  The community engagement results show that the Marin City community is strongly in favor of the three food system priorities.

1. MCCT surveyed 173 Marin City residents.  99.4% of those surveyed supported food system priority number 1 (i.e. a Community Garden Collective). 97.7% of those surveyed  supported food system priority number 2 (i.e. supporting home cooks/other food retailers in selling food for profit). 97.7% of those surveyed supported food system priority number 3 (i.e. developing a Marin City Youth Horticulture Program). 

2. MCCT also reached 204 Marin City residents in-person (including workshops), 1,765 Marin City residents through print outreach, four Marin City residents via MCCT’s “website suggestion box,” and 2,208 social media accounts via social media posts, stories, and reels via Instagram and Facebook.

3. Anecdotally, community members made comments such as “We need this in our community,” “It’s a wonderful plan, can’t wait to see it in action!” and “fantastic ideas lets put this in motion.”

   What’s Next for the Marin City CAT?

   In support of the second food system priority, MCCT has launched its Culinary Business Incubator (CBI) Program! The CBI is designed to support Marin City’s food entrepreneurs in selling their food for profit.

   Biweekly, 8 local food retailers meet with our Executive Director, Jahmeer Reynolds, and Program Director, Chef Curtis Aikens, to discuss both the business and food aspects of being a food retailer. 

   
   

   There are homework assignments. There are trainings. And there is accountability. We are partnering with AIM, Good Earth, attorneys, bankers, and other guest speakers to show our participants what’s possible. Our goal is to empower our community and foster its self-sustainment.  The sky's the limit.

   
   

   As more funding is secured, MCCT’s hope is to implement food system priorities one and three.

   Want to Learn More?

   Contact Curtis Aikens, Marin City HEAL Collaborative CAT Program Director, at curtisaikens@marincountycooperationteam.org or Lakisha Hill, Director of Programming at

   lakishahill@marincountycooperationteam.org.