Joy Chevalier Fighting To Stop Food Insecurities and Inequities

April 2021

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Our Black Community Now Issue

Fighting To Stop Food Insecurities and Inequities Spotlight on Joi Chevalier, Owner of the Cooks Nook page 6

News • Community • Lifestyle • Food and Drink • Health and Wellness • Active Living (55+)

V I E WPO I N T The community has faced a lot of challenges. The pandemic has shown us where inequality is the greatest. It’s one thing to know something and another thing to see it clearly. If you listen to the news, you hear the stories about adults and children going without food, education being limited by the need for technology, housing crisis, the murder of our Black men and women and I could go on and on with the struggle our community faces in the wake of Covid19 pandemic.

One issue that has been at the forefront is the food inequity and food deserts that are in our community. These issues are causing hunger and the inability to

make healthy food choices because in the food desert areas there is not a grocery store but corner stores that don’t offer healthy food items.

The feature story is a conversation with Joi Chevalier of the Cook’s nook. She talks about the inequality in food and the effect before and after the pandemic. The issue of vaccinations and keeping up the fight for justice are concerning to our community as well. #foodinequality #joichevalier #fooddesert #justice #nojustice #vaccinations #covid19 #ujimamagazine #ujimaatx #viewpoint #magazine #hope #socialimpact

Embrace Your Community Damita Miller-Shanklin EDITOR IN CHIEF Damita@Ujimamagazine.com

Ujima Magazine is a free news publication. Visit UjimaMagazine.com. For Advertising Opportunities email UjimaMagazine@gmail.com

Vaccinations

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Ujima and Friends Podcast is another way to reach out to people around the world and share our voice. This podcast is about Ujima Magazine stories, people we interview, and our take on different issues and topics.

The podcast is hosted by Damita MillerShanklin and Eliza Edwards. We hope you join us by listening to us talk about stories and our take on different topics. We have chatted about health and beauty, voting, hope for our future, and organizing our work. But we have many exciting topics and interviews to come.

Please go to our podcast page at https://www.podpage.com/ujimamagazine-and-friends/. You will find all of our episodes in one place. Subscribe to our site, so you will know when a new episode is uploaded.

We hope you join take a listen in the future.

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The world has moved from the country shutting down to having three vaccinations available to the public. I remember getting vaccinated every summer once I started school. I did not like going to get a needle in my arm but it was for my protection against common diseases. When the opportunity presented itself for a vaccine for Covid-19, there was hesitation. Why? It was not feeling comfortable or trusting that I knew enough to make an informed decision.

Now that I have read more about the Pfizer, Moderna, and the Johnson and Johnson vaccines, the decision has been made to go ahead and get the vaccine. Another factor that helps make the decision is travel. At some point, traveling is something that will be done. From all indications, showing proof of having a vaccination will be needed to travel overseas and possibly domestic locations.

Whether the vaccine is preferred or not, the decision is made. I have read and listened to many news stories and read information and now I understand that getting the vaccine will help me stay safe and do activities in the future.

For more information, visit CDC.com. #vaccinations #covid19 #trusting #safety #newnormallife #comfort #ujimamagazine #ujimaatx #community UjimaMagazine.com

BEAUTY AND LIFESTYLE

WHAT ABOUT YOUR DNA?

By Contributing Writer, Jacquie Parish

We have all heard the saying, “great skin is all about your DNA.” That is true to a certain extent. Great skin is not simply a matter of DNA — it’s your daily habits.

In fact, your daily habits have a huge impact on what you see in the mirror.

There is so much information out there on what you should use and how you should take care of your skin. Ultimately, caring for your skin is simply personal. Here’s are three things you should keep in mind when coming up with a skincare routine.

Here are the three main steps to having a great skincare routine: • Cleansing - Washing your face • Toning - Balancing the skin • Moisturizing - Hydrating and softening the skin Your skincare goal should be to tune up your complexion so it’s UjimaMagazine.com

functioning at its best, and also troubleshoot or target any areas you want to work on. As your skin needs shifts with age, so will your products.

example: cleanser, toner, serum (if you use it) and then moisturizer.

Allow these three steps to become your dailyregime that fortifies your skin and grounds your day.

Give it Time - Results are only seen through consistent use. We recommend doing the three steps mentioned above twice per day and consistently for at least 6 weeks.

Again, the key word is “CONSISTENT.”

Contributing Writer Jacquie “ooh” Parish is the contributing writer for the Ujima Magazine. She is the creator of the Glow Collection by Jacquie ooh which is an organic skincare product line. You can find the Glow Collection

by Jacquie ooh at the Tarrytown Pharmacy in Austin, TX and on their online store at www.jacquieooh.com.

Application - With any skincare product it is best to apply in order of the consistency. Such as from the thinnest to the thickest. For an

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Food/Lifestyle

Keeping Up the Fight for Justice Say Their Names

By Damita Miller-Shanklin The world marked the first anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death on March 13, 2021. There has not been anyone indicted in her case of murder. There has not been any accountability for her death. Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, is working to get Louisville to pass Breonna’s Law. It was 13 weeks after her death on June 11. The act needed to be done but Breonna Taylor needs justice by holding the officers involved charged for killing an innocent person in her home due to the officers going to the wrong home. How can this be happening?

Taylor’s death has made an impact on me. The fight has to continue to get the justice she deserves. The protesting and keeping her name in front of the world has to be done. I don’t understand how a mistake by the police goes without any responsibility. There were protests on the day of her year anniversary but how do we take the protest and make it a solution to getting respect, accountability, and responsibility? As a community, we have to develop how to take the next step to get what we need, especially when it comes to justice for unjustified killings.

I don’t have the answers, but I do know something has to be done. We need a process or strategy to go from the street to the courtroom. We have to keep the fight and stop the injustice to our people. Our communities have to stop the pain and hurt.

Until people are held accountable, justice will not be given to the victim or the family that grieve every day. Keep up the fight for justice. #keepupthefight #nojusticenopeace #breonnataylor #breonnaslaw #respect #accountability #responsiblity #saytheirnames #ujimamagazine #ujimaatx #magazine

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TRAVEL

Blanco Park One Winter Moment

By Eliza Edwards

Covid 19 Update

St. James Baptist Church

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

So glad I remember to check online to make the 5 dollar reservations. Thirty minutes later "you have arrived" popped up on my google maps!

Blue skies greet me as I venture towards the nature trails. There are also cabins, tent cabins, picnic tables, the great Blanco river dams, and more. While walking on the simple nature trail, it dead-ends into one of those dam overpasses cemented walls. This is where small-town traffic meets country road sounds.

Oh, I forgot to mention, there is tubing of course but not on this sunny cool day in February, maybe another day in the not too distant summer of 2021. #blancopark #outdooractivity #blueskies #naturetrails #travel #smalltown #sunnyday #ujimamagazine #ujimaatx

On March 3, 2021, St. James Baptist Church held a Virtual meeting with Austin Public Health. Stephanie HaydenHoward, the Director of Austin Public Health, and Dr. Jason Pickett, who is the EMS System Deputy Medical Director.

Hayden-Howard opened up the meeting by stating the church is where the Black Community has always gone for information. The pastor is the guide on issues depending on how he feels. Both Hayden-Howard and Pickett realized the reason behind the hesitancy to get the vaccine but talked about why it is a good idea to get it. There were questions field from people watching and all the questions were answered with detailed explanations. There have been various campaigns to persuade Black people to get the vaccine. There is a hesitant reaction to getting the vaccine. I can admit I am one of the people who have yet to get it. But as I write this article, I have decided to get the vaccine. Why? Because I know many people who have received the vaccine and they all did well. No side effects, except for the normal side effects. The anxiety of not wanting to be a guinea pig has relaxed.

To watch the virtual meeting held at St. James Baptist Church, you can watch at https://www.facebook.com/watch /live/?v=779511842677062&ref= watch_permalink. You can also find it on the St. James Baptist Church Facebook page. The questions that were asked during the virtual meeting, are still good for today.

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feature story

Joi Chevalier of the Cooks Nook

Fighting To Stop Food Insecurities and Food Inequity

By Damita Miller-Shanklin It has been two months since we had the snowstorm that knocked out the power, water, and food.

The city was not prepared for a week of snow, sleet, and low, low temperatures. During this time, people were not able to go to the store to get groceries. Even if they had food without electricity, cooking food was not an option.

The past year has shown where communities are lacking in the areas of education, technology, and food. These are not new areas of concern but the one that has been the most prevalent is food inequity. The food banks are feeding people, and the school system is still feeding students when school is out. I wanted to dive in a bit more on the subject of food and how adults and children are going hungry.

Joi Chevalier of the Cooks Nook is a Chef with the love of great food and technology. This is our discussion.

Damita: Tell me about your journey with food. How did you find yourself working with food?

Joi: I grew up around food. I learned early to cook for myself. When I went to grad school, it was much easier to fix my own food. I worked for 18 years in technology.

But I wanted to do something more useful. While working at my tech job, at night, I put on my chef hat and attended Culinary School. After doing the work and finishing Culinary School, I left the tech world and opened The Cook’s Nook. p6

Damita: What is the Cook’s Nook?

Joi: The Cook’s Nook was built for entrepreneurs, people with business sense to come together. It’s a place where corporations build their brand and become more innovative. We have corporations that come to the Cook’s Nook and make food for commercials, local restaurants use the space as a test kitchen.

Damita: So you get to see people come in and from the ground floor build their product and sell it.

Joi: Yes, I do. When the pandemic hit many of the food businesses began to struggle. I had a place so I looked at what was needed and how I could help. I wrote to the City and explained Keep Austin Together would provide meals to people in need and be a supplement to any other resources they may receive. I was approved fairly quickly for a grant and by April, we were making meals. Last year we did 300,000 meals. We were able to supply the need to many organizations. I can provide a good meal to organizations already done so people can be engaged.

From Jan. 2021 to Sept. 2021, I expect to do 310,000 meals.

Damita: How have you seen the food inequity in our communities look prior to and now since the pandemic started?

Joi: I have been looking at food inequity for a while. The food insecurity in Travis County 2016-2020 was up and down. In 2016, it was up 15%. In 2018, it went down to about 13%. But in 2020, with the pandemic, it increased to 18%. The data shows 18% of adults have food insecurity and 26% of children are experiencing food insecurity. Of these people, 41% do not qualify for SNAP, school lunch program, or WIC. Texas is projected to have the highest number of food-insecure children due to Covid-19.

That is 2.3 million children. We had food

insecurity before the storm and with the pandemic, the numbers grew. The insecurity around food is not going away because the situation was already chronic before Covid.

Damita: So, how can this program continue?

Joi: Well, that advocacy will need to come from the community. You will have to let the decision-makers know how you feel and let them know about the need.

Damita: What about the Food Deserts in our community? Do you know much about that?

Joi: Yes, we reviewed the numbers at our last Food Policy meeting. Most of the areas affected East and Southeast Austin.

There are 13 zip codes that do not have a grocery in the Austin community. The convenience store owners have been encouraged to stock a variety of healthy foods.

Damita: You are involved with several partnerships, can you mention a few?

Joi: Sure. As I mentioned before, I’m on the Board of the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board, Google Refresh Food and Tech group, and Les Dames d’Escoffier. It is a philanthropy group of women who work in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality industries. Julie Childs was one of the original members.

Damita: What’s next for you?

Joi: We just had a successful virtual conference in January. The Conference on the Food Resilience Access and Equity had 280 participants. You can get more information at foodresiliency.net and the conference can be viewed on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCL. I will be working on doing another conference in the Fall.

Damita: You will be busy.

Joi: I want to say “sustainability is food security and food security is sustainability.” No one should go hungry or eat bad food. We need to look at food outcomes not only during the emergency of Covid but in the future. You can follow Cook’s Nook on Instagram and Youtube.

For more information about the Cook’s Nook programs, the website is cooksnook.net.

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FOR SENIORS | ACTIVE LIVING MARY LINNEN | EDITOR

LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME JOB?

TIPS FOR HOW TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE The best tip is to seek assistance to get registered for your Covid vaccine!

Tips for how to get a COVID-19 vaccine ● Contact your state or local health department for more information. ● Ask a family member or friend to help with scheduling an appointment. ● Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or community health center if they plan to provide vaccines, and ask them to please assist you when vaccines are available if you do not have access to a computer.

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Enjoying retirement but looking for something to do. Could be you just need to be around people. You may just want to make a little extra money. Here is something to think about.

Part-time jobs for seniors 1. Consulting or independent contracting Did you enjoy the type of work you did before retirement? Put those skills or licenses to use in a part-time consulting or freelance capacity. Whether you have expertise in marketing, law, engineering, taxes, health care, management, or any other professional skill, you might be able to find clients who could use your knowledge or advice.

2. Caregiving According to a 2017 study by the Urban Institute, two of the most common jobs for newly hired women over 62 are being a personal care aid or working in child care.

3. Education and teaching Teaching is the most popular job for women who have college degrees and are being newly hired at age 62 or older, according to the Urban Institute. Universities and colleges, such as community colleges and for-profit colleges, have a diverse array of job opportunities available to senior citizens.

4. Travel and hospitality If you love to travel, consider a part-time job in hospitality and tourism. You could become a travel coordinator and specialize in planning group trips with particular specialties. Get a travel agent's license from organizations such as the Travel Institute, and start your own home-based travel agency.

5.Retail Working in retail is one of the more common jobs for people over age 62, according to the Urban Institute. Retail work is usually done in shifts, so you could pick up a few part-time shifts during the hours that work best for you. Depending on where you live, you might have numerous options. To narrow it down, think about what your interests are or what you’re knowledgeable about. For example, if you love animals, you could work at a pet store a few times a week. If you love arts and crafts, you could work somewhere like Michael’s.

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