AWC Holds First Meeting in 2011

Invigorating, productive and fun are fitting words to describe AWC first meeting for 2011, held on Saturday, April 30, at Flamingo Restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota.

It was really good to hear a newcomer say that she didn't know that an organization like ours existed. AWC is truly one of the best kept secrets that have the potential to influence how we work together in our community. That is why we are always grateful when women recognize its value and invite others to share in the AWC experience. Word-of-mouth has worked out the best for getting the word out about AWC.

We kicked off the meeting with introductions (elevator speech style) including a statement about how we can help the speaker succeed. As always, the ladies around the table were all very busy and accomplished people. Flamingo Restaurant did not disappoint either--the dishes were delicious and the atmosphere cozy and friendly.

Together, we supported an ethic minority and woman-owned small business, we supported each other and we contributed to conversations about personal, professional and community interests.

There are always many reasons to complain about when it comes to the African community and its people. We could come up with an unending list of things, so the critical question of the day was “What do you appreciate about our community?” It was really refreshing to hear the responses and focus on the positives for a change. They included:

·         A  great sense of community/ unity (depending on how you look at it)

·         Openness of the people

·         A sense of sisterhood/brotherhood/family

·         Africans dress beautifully; especially for special occasions

·         Entrepreneurial spirit

·         African people are resilient

AWC exists because of the women who get involved and make things happen. Each person fully participating, as often as possible, is a key ingredient to its success. We appreciate everyone who took the time to come and make our first meeting a success. We all gain so much more when we connect and work together.

April Meeting and Ethnic Food Drive

We had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Richard Oni, guest speaker at our April meeting and ethnic food drive. Dr. Oni shared the history and experiences of the African Food Shelf (AFS), which began with food distribution to 50 members of the African Community and has now grown to providing an average of 125 bags of food each month to families. AFS rely on the hard work of volunteers and the generosity of ethnic and mainstream grocers to help families make ends meet.

As you may know, ethnic food products can be expensive but it is one way that families deal with “cultural bereavement” that results from living faraway from home and being separated from one's family and culture. “When we eat our cultural foods, we are reminded of our culture, 'back home' in Africa and it makes us feel more at home,” Dr. Oni said.

AFS had decided early on that people would not have to go through an intake and qualifying process in order to preserve the dignity of the families in need. “Once you start scrutinizing people, a loss of dignity occurs,” said Dr. Oni. An unfortunate situation that many in the community have experienced at some food distribution centers. In addition, remittances sent to Africa to support family members are usually not included as a part of expenses when people fill out service eligibility forms, which makes their net income appears to be higher than it really is. For these reasons and others, AFS decided that qualifications for participation would generally be left to individual's conscious. Participants are registered at the time of pickup and provided assistance according to the number of people living in each household.

In addition to food distribution, AFS partners with the University of Minnesota medical students to provide blood pressure checkups and a nonprofit organization called African Health Action (AHA), which provides a variety of medical assistance including HIV/AIDS testing. Dr. Oni reported that at times they had to call the ambulance because some people are walking around with pressure high enough to cause a stroke and don't know it.

Due to funding cuts and a challenging economy, AFS has been forced to consider partnership with another food shelf organization, the Emergency Food Network, to continue helping families in need. However, eligibility status will have to be adjusted to meet their partner's standards for reporting.

Dr. Oni said that he is pleased to learn of AWC's effort to collect ethnic food products to donate to individuals and families in need because it important not only for nourishment but also for emotional well-being of members of our community.

AFS food distribution is held on a monthly basis at the corner of 69th and Humbolt Ave in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Dr. Oni can be contacted at troni@orbis.net.

Attendance at the April meeting was unexpectedly low and 43 lbs of food was collected, the lowest amount in the history of AWC food drive. According to our friends at CEAP Food Shelf, in Brooklyn Park, each individual receives a minimum of 15 lbs of food at distribution. So to put in in perspective, we provide food for less than three individuals—we can surely do better than that. We plan to make up for our loss over the next months by continuing to collect food items at our monthly meetings.
Many thanks to Dr. Oni and AFS for taking the time to visit with us and to the staff and management of the Flamingo Restaurant. This goes without saying, thanks also to the phenomenal ladies who attended and donated to our food drive. Your leadership and commitment are the ingredients the keep AWC cooking.