Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is committed to equity, anti-racism, and justice. We know that food insecurity arises from overlapping and interdependent systems of oppression including race, gender, and economic inequity. These systems have been embedded in our public policies and culture since the founding of our nation, forging institutional barriers that create and perpetuate conditions that lead to poverty and hunger.

As we seek to understand our role in dismantling racial and other systemic inequities, we will work to center and uplift the voices and lived experiences of those – Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQIA2S+ folx, single parents, and other minoritized identities – who most disproportionately experience hunger across our sixteen counties. And we will work to collaborate with and redistribute resources to communities with the lived experience of hunger and its root causes.

We know that anti-racist and systemic work takes time and that we will make mistakes along our journey. We will start by examining and addressing our own organizational culture and internal and external practices and policies. We take responsibility and accountability for cultivating a more just, equitable, and inclusive community.


Philosophy of Engagement with the Community

Second Harvest works to fulfill our mission in Southwestern Wisconsin through partnerships and collaboration. We seek to do our work through meaningful relationships that advance community-identified priorities. These relationships center the voices of groups that are marginalized and value community wisdom and assets. We believe in community engagement that is respectful, culturally responsive and encourages a sense of civic identity for all.


Accountability Updates

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