Food First 40th anniversary Gala

On Friday evening Food First celebrated  its 40th Anniversary by hosting a Gala at Oakland’s beautiful Impact HUB. The event was packed as 150 friends and supporters gathered to celebrate Food First’s rich history and groundbreaking work that has been instrumental in the birth  of the food sovereignty movement. The evening kicked off with music from Nuevo Mundo and dinner by Just Delicious cuisine. Activist Jennifer Johns hosted and opened the event with song.  This was followed by stunning spoken-word poetry by Aaron Cadiz of Youth Speaks and Tassiana Williams of   Brave New Voices  recounted the role that diabetes and the corporate food industry has had on their lives and the lives of those around them.

The evening was marked by inspiring speeches by Food First Executive Director, Eric Holt-Giménez, who discussed the organization’s food justice efforts through research, projects, and political initiatives.  This was followed by inspiring words from Frances Moore Lappé, co-founder of Food First and author of the paradigm-shifting Diet for a Small Planet.   Those gathered also heard from Chivy Sok, Cambodian refugee and co-director of the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), who gave recognition to Food First’s commitment to women and children, and  those who are most vulnerable in our current food system.   The night concluded with scholar Raj Patel sharing his vision for the future: a world eager and capable of confronting the systemic challenges that we face today.

After the event, Eric Holt-Gimenez had this to say to all who came out to support Food First,  “Dear Friends and Comrades, What a magical night we had at the Gala! And what an incredible crew that made it happen! I can’t tell you how much this night means to Food First and how grateful I am to each and every one of you. Your hard work and good will was appreciated by all. If we could only work together like this on everything, we would transform this food system in no time flat!”

Food First also wishes to thank all the Food & Beverage Donors: Alameda Natural Grocery, Andronico’s Community Markets, Carol Benfell, Cheese Board Bakery, Cowgirl Creamery, Fetzer Vineyards, Frey Vineyards, Joey W. Smith, La Farine, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Monterey Market, Petaluma Creamery, Piedmont Grocery, Sweet Bar Bakery, Thanksgiving Coffee, The Acme Bread Company,Trader Joe’s Berkeley, and the Silent Auction Donors: Bariani Olive Oil, California Academy of Sciences, Clif Family Winery, Cowgirl Creamery, David Zebkar Massages, de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Far West Fungi, Frey Vineyards, Leonor Hurtado, Rowena Garcia, Numi Tea, Oakland China Town Food Tours, Seeds of Freedom, St. George Spirits, Susana van Bezooijen, Thanksgiving Coffee, and The Local Butcher Shop.

Here the photo album of our 40^th anniversary

Enjoy this slideshow with the best of our celebration