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WKBN on our Healthy Food Now Program

WKBN on the start of the season

The Northside/Downtown Farmers’ Market is growing and needs volunteer support to continue bringing farm fresh produce and fairly traded goods to the heart of Youngstown. There are numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the 12 week season. A list of positions and descriptions as well as corresponding sign-up sheets can be found below. All jobs, except for the 4-H project, need filled both Tuesdays and Saturdays.

There is no pressure to volunteer for the entire 12 weeks, but it would be helpful if you are able to commit to all 4 hours of the market day you choose. A volunteer training schedule is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 10 a.m. at the UUYO. For more information, please contact Cherise at cbenton@resettleyoungstown.org.

Fair Trade Volunteers

UUYO Fair Trade table: coffee/tea/chocolate/nuts/berries

• Volunteer to manage scheduling for weekly Fair Trade sales
• Volunteers to make coffee and person the UUYO Fair Trade Table for each market at UUYO. (2 per market)

Baked goods/bagels at Fair Trade table

• Volunteer to manage scheduling for weekly baked goods (or bagels & cream cheese) for Fair Trade sales at market to benefit UUYO Social Action
• Volunteers to bring baked goods for sale at Fair Trade Table for benefit of UUYO Social Action

UUYO information

• Answer questions about Fair Trade products, Social Action and the UUYO

Click here for the Fair Trade Volunteer sign-up sheet.

Recycling Center

• Volunteer to manage scheduling for information at bins
• Coordinator to purchase color bins, develop signs/brochures and trolley for 2 recycling centers for markets
• Volunteers for recycling education/conversation at Northside Farmers Market Recyling Center each week

Click here for the Recycling Center Volunteer sign-up sheet.

Healthy Food Now/Nutrition Information

• Volunteer to manage scheduling and collect information on healthy eating
• Volunteers for education/conversation at Healthy Food Now table

Click here for the Healthy Food Now Volunteer sign-up sheet.

4-H Leaders to lead neighborhood youth project

• Leaders to recruit club members, meet Saturday mornings at Farmers Market
  • Projects: Healthy snacks, and/or Growing Vegetables, and/or Container Gardens, Raising bees, chickens, etc.

Click here for the 4-H Volunteer sign-up sheet.

Farmers Market set ups & take downs

• Volunteers to set up
• Volunteers to take down

Click here for the Set Up/Take Down Volunteer sign-up sheet.

EBT processing

• Volunteers to be responsible for processing EBT transactions, collect tokens from vendors, keep sales records

Click here for the EBT Volunteer sigh-up sheet.

Friends of the Market

• Volunteer to manage scheduling
• Volunteers to encourage shoppers to become Friends of the Market

Click here for the Friends of the Market Volunteer sign-up sheet.

Cooking Demonstrations

• Volunteers to prepare simple dishes on site using market ingredients

Click here for the Cooking Demonstrations Volunteer sign-up sheet.

If you’ve never shopped in your neighborhood, give it a try and you might make a new friend while you’re at it. Or have lunch with your neighbors at a locally owned eatery. Developing a strong sense of community is an important part of resettling Youngstown.

And, of course, you’ll be doing a very good thing for our local economy: “Studies show that spending a

image from yesmagazine.org

dollar at an independent business generates about three times as much benefit for your local economy as spending a dollar at a chain. The reason is that, unlike chains, which siphon money out of a community, local businesses spend much of their revenue buying goods and services from other local businesses. They bank at a local bank, hire a local accountant, get their printing done at the local print shop.”

Grow Youngstown will host a screening of The Living Land, the second film in The Real Dirt on Food film series, beginning at 7 pm in the Radius Room at the Davis Visitor Center at Mill Creek Park, on Wednesday, May 12.  The film examines the movement to create more sustainable, healthy ways of growing food, through the eyes of four pioneers:  John Jeavons, Executive Director of Ecology Action; Wes Jackson, founder of the Land Institute; restaurateur Alice Waters; and organic farmer Mas Masumoto. The half-hour film will be followed with discussion led by Grow Youngstown board member Kathi Vrable-Bryan, Administrator of the Mahoning Soil and Water Conservation District. Refreshments will be available before the film, at 6:30, in the Garden Café at the Davis Center.

Admission is free, though participants are encouraged to make a donation to support Grow Youngstown. The films series is made possible with support from the Sisters of the Humility of Mary with their commitment to EcoSpirituality and EcoJustice.