APRIL IS CAGJ MEMBERSHIP MONTH!
Soon you should receive CAGJ’s beautiful 2020 Annual Report in the mail. You can also check it out online!
A letter from CAGJ’s Executive Director, Heather Day
Happy Spring! I just came in from playing outside with my son Henry, after his first day back at school in over a year. I was moved to tears while biking to his school, seeing all of the families arrive, at what used to be a routine sight and has been transformed into a historic moment. For me, this day is filled with promise, expectation, and some trepidation, of course.
It has been an incredibly tough year, for some more than others. A year ago I felt overwhelmed, and uncertain about our organization’s future. Now, looking back, I am amazed at how much we managed to accomplish despite the rigors of pandemic life. We adapted, and even found some silver linings. I hope you enjoy reading all about it in our 2020 Annual Report! Please make a Membership donation today!
Celebrate Membership Month with us! Our theme is Grounded & Growing:
CAGJ is Grounded:
- In 2021 CAGJ is celebrating our 20th Anniversary! We are rooted in grassroots struggles, including the historic 1999 WTO protests, where CAGJ’s founders met, and built the relationships that later formed our CAGJ community.
- Over the past year many CAGJ Members have re-visited our purpose by updating our Mission and Vision, and creating a new Theory of Change, to guide us for the next twenty years!
- We ground ourselves in the global Food Sovereignty movement by dedicating ourselves to developing leadership for our future! There is fertile ground in the Food Justice Project and AGRA Watch, Rise Up! Summer School, and youth workshops we have been co-facilitating with groups including Clean Greens and Northwest Harvest.
CAGJ is Growing:
- CAGJ’s core of active Members has grown over the past year, with Organizing Collectives dedicated to Summer School and our new Zine – the 3rd edition of Our Food, Our Right, “Recipes for a New Normal”!
- The Gates Foundation and Bill Gates himself are amassing a concerning level of power, and are thus increasingly in the spotlight, creating tremendous potential (and urgency!) for our AGRA Watch campaign. We are poised to hire a full-time coordinator, which is necessary to strengthen the growing global resistance!
- Our staff is growing and in transition: To support Heather (CAGJ’s Director), over the past 6 months we’ve hired several part-time consultants, including organizers Noël Hutton and Momo WIlms-Crowe (both located in the Southwest!), operations assistant Sara Lavenhar, and Nina Triffleman, an experienced book-keeper. In addition we recently hired Lisa Colligan – formerly an intern – to coordinate SLEE 2021. They’re all doing a fabulous job!
- Meanwhile we are wrapping up strategic planning which will inform our future staffing structure. We have long needed more staff to support the many areas of CAGJ’s organizing! To get there, we need more resources dedicated to fundraising, thus Development staff are likely to come on board to help grow CAGJ for our next 20 years!
Celebrate CAGJ’s 20th Birthday by becoming a Member or renewing today!
At 20 years old, CAGJ is reaching a critical juncture, of both great need and great momentum. Environmental crises and stark inequalities linked to industrial food systems are reaching alarming new heights. Our unique analysis is also gaining incredible traction, especially in the realm of philanthocapitalism. To do our work justice, we need to increase our staff capacity. Will you help lead us into these next 20 years?
Grassroots organizing relies on grassroots funding!
Over half of CAGJ’s funding comes from our Members! Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member, if you are able; we are so grateful for reliable monthly income! And Membership is always available to all, whether or not you can afford to donate: Sign up online.
Exciting news for Membership Month 2020: All new and renewing members will receive hand-made soap as a thank you from CAGJ. Gifts of $20/month, or one-time donations of $200 or more will be acknowledged with our new all-organic apron with the beautiful Food Justice & Nikki McClure artwork featured on our poster and T-shirt!
We’ve accomplished a lot in the past year, including the shift towards sanity and away from cruelty in our government, though we still have a lot of work to do. We are so grateful to everyone dedicating their energy and passions to the intersecting movements of our time – Food Sovereignty, Climate Justice, Black Lives Matter. Together we are making the world a better place.
In solidarity and with love,
Heather
P.S. SAVE THE DATE: SLEE & 20th Anniversary Party, SAT October 9, with Raj Patel!
P.P.S. Support our 3rd Zine! Contributing artists receive a modest stipend. Lend your support to the artists, and to help CAGJ print the Zine! Donate by April 9th to get entered into our Raffle, with amazing prizes! More info on CAGJ’s Instagram!
