Church Organization Fights For Food Equity in the Black Community | AFRO Currently there are nine Baltimore area churches in the network, with four other congregations and one mosque slated to join later this year. There are also plans to expand to rural churches on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the near future.

In 2018, it is important to find ways to empower our communities with resources, education and economic opportunity. Many churches and Pastors have various community programs that meet these goals. One of those is Dr. Heber Brown, III, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Northeast Baltimore.

Courtesy Black Church Food Security Network.com, Photo Credit

Courtesy Black Church Food Security Network.com, Photo Credit

Brown is the founder of The Black Church Food Security Network (BCFSN). BCFSN is an alliance of churches that have or want to have gardens on church-owned land to help further the goal of food equity in the African American community. “We work together – learning from one another, getting discounts as we collectively buy what our individual gardens need, helping each other on our respective church garden projects, and taking a more collaborative approach with the other churches in our neighborhood to address the commonly held food insecurity issues in our communities,” Brown said. “In addition, BCFSN builds bridges between Black farmers and Black churches – pipelining fresh produce from soil to sanctuary.”

Courtesy Black Church Food Security Network.com, Photo Credit