The mission of the SFC is to connect individuals and organization across Somerville to share information, identify solutions, and advocate for resources that support access to affordable, culturally inclusive food for all. Our vision is a visibly resilient, values-driven food system that respects, involves, and serves all community members.
The Coalition is currently coordinated by the City of Somerville Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities, in collaboration with a steering committee of community members and representatives from local food access organizations. Our work is guided by our Somerville Food System Assessment and Food Action Plan.
We encourage all Somerville community members and organizations to join us! You can find a list of participating member organizations below. If you have any questions or would like to join a meeting, please email somervillefood@gmail.com.
The steering committee is made up of two community members and four organizational members, with support from Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities’ Healthy Communities Coordinator.
Cambridge Health Alliance, Health Improvement Team
Steering Committee Facilitator:
City of Somerville, Office of Food Access & Healthy Communities
Clarendon Hill Towers Resident Services
Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc. (CAAS)
Immigrant Services Provider Group/Health
Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of Somerville
The Coalition first gathered in 2010 as a ‘Community Action Board’ co-led by two non-profits: Somerville Homeless Coalition and the medical safety net provider Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). Community members, providers, and researchers from Tufts unified around food security in recognition of the interconnectedness of nourishing food, housing stability, and health. In 2011, the group became the Somerville Food Security Coalition (SFSC). The newly named Coalition sought to move towards collective action by securing additional cold storage for the Homeless Coalition’s Project SOUP to increase distribution of produce and protein. They also worked to increase local knowledge of existing resources. As the Coalition strengthened, it began managing the Come to the Table community meal in 2015, now managed by Connexion Church and the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The Coalition also served as a key advisory group to the 2018 CHA Well-Being Report and the City of Somerville’s 2018 Food System Assessment.
Pre-pandemic, the SFSC met monthly to address acute and chronic barriers to food security. The meetings were open to the public and in-person at different community meeting spaces around the city. About 30 unique stakeholder organizations or community members were regularly engaged, with a few hundred more passively involved. Regular members included an immigrant justice organization, a school committee member, food rescue and pantry organizations, an unhoused community member, and early childcare providers, among others.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Somerville community mobilized quickly to coordinate efforts on emergency food activities because of the pre-existing structure, connections, and platform of the SFSC. Relationships in the Somerville food system grew broader and deeper, similar to other collaborative efforts around food in Massachusetts. During this time, the City of Somerville Health and Human Services’ Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities became more involved in coordinating the Coalition. The 2022 Food Action Progress Report documents the collective action from the Coalition’s past few years.
In 2023, the coalition received a Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources grant to restructure and refine its mission. This process created a steering committee and an updated vision and mission. The Coalition is currently coordinated by the Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities, with support from the Steering Committee and Coalition members.