SCAN (Supportive Children's Advocacy Network) was founded in 1977 with a mission to provide at-risk families and children with integrated programming that uses a positive approach; harnesses individual strengths; and fosters responsibility, self-esteem, initiative, and the development of life skills.  

Tell us about your work?

The agency provides a variety of integrated supports to the highest risk children and families of East Harlem and the South Bronx.  Serving over 7,000 children and teens and 1,000 adults and families each year at 20 program sites, SCAN is the largest youth service provider in East Harlem and the South Bronx.

With programs as diverse as substance abuse treatment, violence prevention, literacy programs, afterschool activities and events, employment skills training, and youth leadership, SCAN's family-focused approach builds on individual and group strengths.

SCAN programs empower individuals and families, thereby fostering responsibility and initiative and enabling our community members to identify and achieve new goals.

by Nicholas Freudenberg

On Election Day November 4^th, Berkeley voters made their town the first in the United States to approve a soda tax, endorsing Measure D to levy a penny-an-ounce tax on soda by a 3 to 1 margin, 76% for and 24% against. The victory came despite the fact that Big Soda poured $2.3 million dollars into the campaign, about $409 per voter that sided with the industry position. For the food justice movement, the win demands a careful analysis of the lessons learned.  

I raise 5 questions to get us started in this analysis. 

1. Everybody knows that Berkeley is the capital of the Left Coast but the town has set important national trends before. What are the characteristics of Berkeley and the campaign that may be generalizeable to other places in the US?

"We fully expect other communities to take on the soda industry and succeed," said Yes on D Co-Chair Dr. Vicki Alexander after the victory. "Berkeley has a proud history of setting nationwide trends, such as nonsmoking sections in restaurants and bars, curb cuts for wheelchairs, curbside recycling, and public school food policies. But many communities have the same ingredients that made Measure D possible in Berkeley: proactive parents and community leaders who care about the health of their kids."  Yes on D built a broad, diverse and inclusive community coalition.

On October 10, 2014, 150 individuals from 100+ organizations came together to create a shared understanding of equity and explore ways to advance equity that will provide opportunity and benefits to all New York City residents.     

This workshop explored how we can collectively be more intentional in: 

1.    advancing food policies and practices that are meaningful and target benefits to communities most impacted by inequities; and,
2.    placing at the center the voices and wisdom of those who have historically been excluded in order to generate solutions and fully contribute as workers, innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs of the food system.

Why Equity Now?

Recent years have seen the rapid emergence and growth of activity within and across New York City's food system. While these efforts cross multiple sectors and issues, they have tended to be disparate and have not created the comprehensive, systemic change needed to dismantle the deepening racial and economic inequities experienced in many communities across New York City. Further, mounting evidence shows that our food system continues to exacerbate existing gaps in access, health, income, wealth, employment, and opportunity, and alienates and exploits historically marginalized communities.