While we never need an excuse to gather in community, it’s always a little more special when we can commemorate an important holiday, like Juneteenth, Pride, or Father’s Day, while also feeding our neighbors. Here are just a few highlights from another busy (and festive!) month:
Juneteenth
Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday to recognize the emancipation of the last remaining groups of enslaved people in the US; today it celebrates the resilience and culture of Black Americans.
In honor of the holiday, Chicago‘s Brown People Foundation hosted a Black Joy & Wellness Festival featuring a cooking demonstration from our very own Sparkle Le’Star of The Black Vegan. The Black Vegan specializes in creating plant-based foods that strike a balance between comfort, flavor, culture and wellness. Located in a community with limited access to nutritious foods, Sparkle and her team take pride in supporting neighbors experiencing food insecurity while making healthy eating approachable, enjoyable, and affordable.
In Virginia Beach, local food policy leader and educator Jammica Boone moderated a community conversation on food as medicine, sharing the benefits of plant-based eating and its impact on both personal and planetary health.
Down in New Orleans, BeHR returned with its annual Juneteenth #Blackout celebration. This community event centered movement, wellness, joy, culture, and connection. Founder Kwame is committed to addressing chronic illness within the community through movement and plant-based nutrition. Our restaurant partners Breads on Oak refueled the group with old-fashioned oats and fresh berries, and 1000 Figs provided healthy hummus and crudite platters. The day featured a community run, HIIT workout session, yoga, line dancing tutorials, and more.
And in Atlanta on Saturday, we supported an event with Women on the Rise called the Juneteenth & Father’s Day Freedom, Family, and Fatherhood Day Cookout. We provided healthy plant-based meals from Flying Biscuit, and participants engaged in fun activities like a tug of war, sack races, and face painting, while offering resources to the community.
Pride Events
June is also Pride Month, so much of our programming during this time pays homage to the LGBTQ+ community.
While still rebuilding from the devastating Eaton Fire, the community of Altadena, California celebrated its 5th Annual Pride Celebration last weekend with a Walkabout and family-friendly activities, including a youth sanctuary and community picnic.
In Detroit, we’ve partnered with the fabulous Chef Shay at the Ruth Ellis Center, which supports LGBTQ+ youth, for a plant-based rainbow pizza cooking demonstration that encourages freedom of expression, creativity, and inclusion.
Eat the Rainbow, NYC! Our partners at Betances Health Center, which provides LGBTQ+ primary care and behavioral health services, hosted a community Pride celebration filled with supportive resources, family fun, empanadas from the VSpot and our edible rainbow fruit display.