Community Conversations:
Hunger in the Farm-to-Fork Capital
Part civic meeting, part literary salon, and part dinner party, these participatory events used Hidden Hunger: Storybooth's compelling audio stories and images to spark community dialogue and problem-solving.
To move the needle on complicated issues like hunger, we need to feel a connection to the issue, to each other and to our community. Dialogue and understanding are essential first steps to any long-term solution.
Through the “Hunger in the Farm-to-Fork Capital” community conversations, Capital Public Radio and The Village Square created a welcoming space and the opportunity for honest conversation about the tough topic of food insecurity. We discovered there is a strong desire for this type of community interaction (all events sold out). We also found that residents are eager to deepen their knowledge about the causes and impacts of hunger, and to hear new perspectives and consider solutions that include taking action.
These were not your average community conversations; it was civic storytelling at its best, with thoughtful content, open-mindedness, diverse viewpoints and powerful real-life stories, many told by those experiencing hunger.
Attendees told us they gained a sense of community in a whole new way. That they felt more informed, with a deeper personal understanding on a host of issues related to hunger, and inspired by their experience. We saw participants building relationships and getting excited about joining together to address hunger in Sacramento County—exactly what these community conversations were designed to do.
Special thanks to our community partners who helped design and host these conversations:
