TODAY ONLY! Our friends at Just Food sent this important alert- contact your representative in New York!
On June 30, NYC Council Member Bill de Blasio introduced a groundbreaking resolution in the City Council that calls for a citywide “FoodprintNYC” initiative to create greater access to local, fresh, healthy food, especially in low-income communities as well as city-run institutions (see resolution background below).
So far 11 City Council members have signed on as co-sponsors. Make sure your representative shows their support!
Tomorrow, take action to support FoodprintNYC!
Calling your representative is fast, easy, and effective. You can call on your way to the subway, while walking your dog or on your way home from the office. Every call that you make in support of or against a policy issue gets recorded.
Calls are usually short and you are rarely asked questions, as staffers are busy and want to take down your position and get you off the phone!
Here are three quick steps to calling your representative and voicing your support for the FoodprintNYC resolution:
1) Find your City Council representative.
2) Find out if your City Council representative has signed on as a co-sponsor of the FoodprintNYC resolution.
3a) If your city council representative has not yet signed on as a co-sponsor of the resolution, please call their legislative office and urge him or her to support the resolution. Feel free to use the following simple script:
· Hello, my name is ______________ and I am a constituent.
· I live at/in ___________ (give street address or neighborhood so they know you are a constituent).
· I’m calling to urge Council Member _______ to support Resolution 2049 calling for FoodprintNYC.
At this time you’ll likely get thanked for calling, and then the purpose of your call will be recorded. If they do ask for more detailed information, here are the key points:
· The resolution was introduced in the City Council by Bill de Blasio on June 30, 2009.
· It is the first resolution in NYC or any other US city to exclusively address climate change through our food system.
· It calls for a citywide initiative to create greater access to local, fresh, healthy plant-based food, especially in low-income communities as well as city-run institutions.
· Increasing availability and use of local, healthy food decreases significant pollution caused by the growing, packing, processing and shipping of food.
If you’re calling after hours you can leave a message, state your name, where you’re from, your phone number and that you’d like your representative to co-sponsor Resolution 2049 calling for FoodprintNYC.
3b) If your city council representative is one of the 11 members who have already signed on as a co-sponsor of the resolution, please call and thank him or her for their support. Feel free to use the following simple script:
· Hello, my name is ______________ and I am a constituent.
· I live at/in ___________ (give street address or neighborhood so they know you are a constituent).
I’m calling to thank Council Member _______ for their support of Resolution 2049 calling for FoodprintNYC! I am so glad to see the connection between food and climate change being taken seriously.
Thank you!!