[Communications] A & O team and purpose on the CCGA Website

[Amy Olson]

Hi Lorraine and all,

Here is an alternate take on the first paragraph along with some edits to the bullet points. 

The mission of the Advocacy and Outreach team is to support community gardens as a vehicle for building sustainable communities and enriching the natural ecosystem in Chicago and beyond. We are committed to creating a space where each voice and perspective is appreciated and heard. We support and encourage the participation of every individual. When a problem or issue is identified, the next natural step is outreach. While Chicago's neighborhood gardens are our immediate focus, we have the potential to engage with other areas through advocacy because many issues affect our larger shared environment.

The following are some of our current areas of focus. We invite and encourage everyone to participate! With your help, we can:
·  develop and secure resources to create healthier, greener communities
·  increase access to safe water, healthy soil, and compost for gardeners
·  provide a platform to share and address issues that arise in community gardens
·  build awareness about and address city-wide policy issues that affect community gardens
·  work to increase equity and lessen division in community gardening
·  establish beneficial connections between people and/or organizations
·  support the important role of community gardens in the fight against climate change  


> On Oct 15, 2021, at 9:18 AM, Lorraine Kells <lxkells at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> May,
> 
> You've it upon everything that A&O should be. So if everyone in this email agrees, then with a one correction and one word choice I will send this out to the full Committee. See changes below
> 
> some of the key elements we are focused on
> 
> And do you all want obtain or secure
> 
> Please reply Amy, Julie, Mamie, JW
> 
> Thank you
> Lorraine
> 
> On Fri, Oct 15, 2021, 8:02 AM M Toy <mtoy.usa at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> Below are my revised suggestions. I tried to merge Mamie's suggestions with the original content from Lorraine and added one more bullet point regarding climate change. 
> Thanks. May
> 
> ---------
> 
> Advocacy and Outreach is centered on community with the focus and belief that community gardens are important community building vehicles.  What we see is often shaped by perspective, custom and convention.  Advocacy and Outreach is committed to the vision that everyone has a role to play and can contribute to the community as a whole and we support and encourage the participation of every individual.  When a problem or issue is identified, outreach is the natural next step.  Our Chicago neighborhoods are our immediate focus, but we have the potential of reaching out to all growing spaces through advocacy.  And it's important that we do so because many issues do not affect just Chicago but affect our larger shared environment.   
> 
> Some of the key elements that we are focus on and invite & encourage everyone to participate and help with are:
> ·         obtain(secure?) resources to create healthier, greener communities
> ·         increase access to safe water, healthy soil, and compost for gardeners
> ·         provide the platform for concerns/issues that arise in community gardening
> ·         build awareness and address city wide policy issues that affect community gardens
> ·         bring a cohesive voice to lessen division and increase equity in community gardening
> ·         establish beneficial connections between people and/or organizations
> ·         create awareness of the beneficial value of community gardens in the fight against climate change  
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 11:21 PM Lorraine Kells <lxkells at gmail.com> wrote:
> Mamie,
> 
> We were making a point about seeing, which I think you may have missed.  Seeing not something objective, but shaped by perspective, custom and convention.  It is especially true of seeing people. We think A & O can see differently,  not shaped by custom convention. A & O sees that everyone has a part to play.  
> 
> These were notes while we were chatting.  If it doesn't read well, then so be it.  
> 
> Lorraine
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 10:35 PM Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com> wrote:
> For what it’s worth:  Advocacy and Outreach is centered and focused on community gardens. Our perspective is shaped by custom and convention. Advocacy and Outreach is committed to encourage and support the participation of every individual. When an issue arises, outreach is the next step. Although Chicago neighborhoods are our primary focus, there is also the possibility of reaching out to all growing spaces through advocacy.
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 7:26 PM Lorraine Kells <lxkells at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I would still like to see some comments about the content.  It;easy to make corrections to grammar, but the content will go up and stay up on the website for who/what Advocacy & Outreach is. This will still go out to the whole committee with whatever changes we make, so others may weigh in.  Is this what we want to send (with grammatical changes)?
> 
> Thanks for your input, please 
> 
> Lorraine
> 
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 6:42 PM Julie Samuels <jsamuels1966 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you Mamie, I agree with your suggestions...because the "ing" implies "action" and that's what we want all of us and everyone else to take on.
> 
> Julie
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 3:14 PM Mamie Gray via Communications <communications at chicagocommunitygardens.org> wrote:
> Hello all, Four suggestions for consideration: 1) each bullet point verb ending consistently in “ing;” 2) instead of getting resources, sharing resources; 3) providing the platform to providing platforms; and 4) being a cohesive voice. Mamie
> 
> On Thu, Oct 14, 2021 at 12:23 PM Lorraine Kells via Communications <communications at chicagocommunitygardens.org> wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Amy & I met with Julie to draft a new paragraph to put up on the website.  I took notes and here is a rough draft of what we came up with.  Please look at the website "Current Projects" section to make this paragraph and the  draft work together as well as what we have in the Newsletter.  Let's give this a once over and then send it to the entire committee for review or send yo all now?
> 
> Advocacy and Outreach is centered on community with a focus on community gardens.  What we see is often shaped by perspective, custom and convention.  Advocacy and Outreach is committed to a way of seeing that every individual has a part to play. When a problem or issue is identified, outreach is the next step. Our Chicago neighborhoods are our immediate focus, but we have the possibility of reaching out to all growing spaces through advocacy.
> The things we are talking about are:
> ·         getting resources to create healthier, greener communities
> ·         increase access to water, healthy soil, and compost for gardeners
> ·         providing the platform for issues that arise in community gardening
> ·         increase awareness and address city wide policy issues that affect community gardens
> ·         bringing a cohesive voice to lessen division and widen inequity in community gardening
> ·         establish beneficial connections between people and/or organizations
> 
> Thanks
> Lorraine
> -- 
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