Ahead of Spring Fest 2022 on April 23, the Catalogue team spoke with Dreaming Out Loud’s Founder and Executive Director Christopher Bradshaw and Operations Director Zachari Curtis about how they’re building a healthy, equitable food system. A Black-led Farm and Food Hub, Dreaming Out Loud builds supportive infrastructure and relationships on a grassroots level and is a vocal advocate for creating economic opportunities for our most marginalized communities through food.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Catalogue: What led you to establish and be involved with Dreaming Out Loud?

Christopher: I had started an after-school program and that’s where we noticed a lot of issues around food in terms of healthy food access. It got me thinking more systemically to figure out ways in which we can intervene. The first intervention was a farmers’ market. I saw that farmers needed support – the community couldn’t afford price points that, say, first-generation Mexican-American farmers needed, and these farmers didn’t have access to markets in more affluent neighborhoods. The question was around why the structural arrangement wasn’t advantageous to anyone operating in the food system who wanted food or who wanted to start a food business. There were opportunities to change the food system for the better in ways that would benefit communities impacted by food apartheid.

Zachari: I’ve known Chris since before I worked with Dreaming Out Loud. We were both in a coalition I ran called Healthy Affordable Food for All. I was also an urban farmer, and I was really looking for more innovative business models. Chris was hunting for a supply chain manager for a food hub, an idea we’d talked about years before. I applied and my pitch was basically about the values that mattered, the fact that I understood that individuals are rarely isolated entities if they’re successful. There are structures and political movements that typically undergird what we think of as success.

Catalogue: How have things changed in the DC food economy since Dreaming Out Loud was started?

Christopher: More folks are working towards using food as a lens to examine different issues around social justice and a lot more folks are afforded opportunities as a result of policy changes. But these take time to change. We continue to see that ownership and cost structure is driven by speculative development, which creates unequal access for food entrepreneurs and communities.

Zachari: In classic, well-meaning form, I think the community is picking up on the popularity of equity, on the feel-goodness of it, but we aren’t at the point where we can wrestle with the differences between communities, between people who still haven’t been repaired from 256 years of chattel slavery, 150 years of Jim Crow segregation and mass incarceration.

I do a fair amount of policy work and it definitely feels like a win that there are funding initiatives that talk about equity and inclusion, but I think there are many communities that have benefited from affirmative actions in a way that the most deeply affected – those descended from chattel slavery – are still blocked from accessing.

Catalogue:?What are some of the challenges that Dreaming Out Loud continues to grapple with?

Zachari: Our food hub is still not out of the woods in terms of the challenges of operating in a space that’s dominated by the wealthy and by mostly white wealth. We’re working with a population that’s severely generationally under-capitalized and facing economic attacks, and we don’t necessarily have a whole coalition of folks speaking that same language.

We were in a moment during the pandemic with a mild uptick of support for organizations like ours who’ve been speaking very boldly about the need for transformative racial justice, reparations, and other things. But I’ll be honest – things are cooling off. People are done with COVID, done with thinking about the economy as staggered, as tiered. It’s interesting to see what conversations will be had in light of the deepening inflation and joblessness, and the deepening despair of most working-class communities in the United States.

Catalogue: How does Dreaming Out Loud advocate for BIPOC farmers and food producers in creating a more equitable food system?

Christopher: We are made up of, and deeply situated within, Black communities that have long been actors in the food system historically, but who have been excluded from the economic benefits. We see what the gaps and challenges are, which leads us to be able to advocate in a way that’s authentic to our own individual and collective experiences, and to the folks who we’ve worked to be impactful on behalf of.

We’re vertically integrated, so we touch multiple points along the food system. One vein of our advocacy might be advocating for labor rights and elevating the concerns and needs of workers. For instance, we worked with ONE DC to organize a food system worker panel. We also use our Black Farm CSA newsletter as an advocacy portal to communicate advocacy opportunities to folks signed up for the CSA. And we’ve included opportunities from other groups like Garfield Terrace, who were doing an action to get the DC Housing Authority to respond to conditions within their building, so we’re power-building in that way.

I feel that some of the progress we’ve made system-wide is now coming to fruition. Nourish DC is one of the things we’ve moved forward. It’s a fund aimed at resourcing underrepresented and marginalized community members in funding their food businesses. We’re part of that collaborative, led by Capital Impact Partners, alongside the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Latino Economic Development Center, and EatsPlace. $400,000 has been issued in catalytic grants to food makers and we’re slated to have another round of this. It’s impactful and I’m really excited.

Zachari: There’s a way the conversation can get reduced to food access alone or reduced to conversations about increasing the welfare state, about representational issues – “Which brown face are we putting where on what label or logo?” Seldom are there distinctly different conversations about how many contracts were given to Black-owned businesses and how much of this recovery money actually made it to who it was supposed to make it to.

In the wake of a declared crisis, often, it’s very important to watch the money, to watch the emergency contracts get approved. There are deeply entrenched race-neutral barriers at this point. We should actually be talking in the language of policy lineage because nobody’s out there explicitly using vitriol to exclude people – it’s really in the lane of the fine print of business and in the fine print of policy or protocol or eligibility or non-eligibility.

We talk to our own peers and other people who descend from this policy lineage, and we say, “Your failure’s not your fault. We are not deficient or less business-savvy.” We talk to them about the municipality or state agency that’s going to place an agreement for local food purchasing with the intent to procure from socially disadvantaged farmers, so we can hold to it. There are just so many escape hatches and loopholes that are available to not address this lineage. So, participation and data gathering are important.

Being clear with our messaging is important, as well. There should be a hundred more Dreaming Out Louds and there’s no way I’m the only person from this lineage with this idea, but it’s very difficult to do the work we do because of systemic inequalities.

Dreaming Out Loud isn’t the government. Unfortunately, we’ve taken the role of government because of the vacuum there. We’re providing discounts at our farmers’ markets for produce that we purchased at an above-market rate because those farmers also need fair prices. No nonprofit or business can sustain this in a way that the government can. I think it’s consistently clear that there’s, in general, no will to allow Black American communities to thrive, no will to allow working-class communities to thrive. We’re not giving people what they need to get through this pandemic and this economic downturn.

Catalogue: How can people and organizations support Dreaming Out Loud’s mission and work?

Christopher: There are a lot of ways people can plug in. Dreaming Out Loud is a food hub, social enterprise, and food business ourselves. Folks can sign up to receive a CSA share. We have an incredible line of soup and granola. Offices that prioritize employee wellness can promote an office CSA to HR. Food businesses can buy from our wholesale list, which is a curated list of products from local and regional farmers that we can connect your business to.

Zachari: Our Food Hub employs people up and down the supply chain. We hire DC residents and train them – there’s no industry in DC giving people this type of experience and this type of job.

Chris: is one of the incredible ways to bring value beyond a donation that helps move our mission forward.

People can volunteer at The Farm at Kelly Miller. Follow what we’re doing with the DC Food Policy Council. Sign up for our newsletter for upcoming advocacy opportunities – we foresee lots of this with the Farm Bill, such as calling your Senator or Congressperson. And follow us on social media at @DOLDC.

Zachari: We do policy talks with people who want to get into this more. We do policy Mondays on Instagram.

I think I would like people to be more demanding of their political leaders. In general, we have to do better in terms of asking for the means for a just, dignified life from the people who can provide it. We have to demand more of people with more ability to make change than any one nonprofit.

ONE DC and the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, mentioned above, are two fellow Catalogue nonprofit partners that you can also learn about.

On this Day of Service, many of us are looking for ways to engage kids in activities to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Our well-intentioned efforts to serve tend to focus on once and done projects. We can enhance meaning by connecting our strategies to what Dr. King called all of us (including kids) to do: always be concerned about the collective and to fight for equality.

Dr. King challenged us to think beyond ourselves and contribute to society. In his 1956 Birth of a New Age address he asserts that “an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” He wanted kids and adults alike to take responsibility for the needs of others as a daily way of being, not as isolated actions. He also emphasized action with impact, not action for action’s sake.

Typical ways of engaging kids on this Day of Service involve volunteering at non-profits or attending events that facilitate many service projects in one venue. Kids can sort food, make art, clean up parks, pack hygiene bags, and make bracelets. According to University of Kent Researcher Alison Body, “most children positively engage in charitable giving through home, school and their community; however less than 20% are aware of the cause area they are being asked to support.” Without connecting activities to a bigger sense of meaning and impact, kids could become apathetic towards service, the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve.

So let’s think differently about today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Rather than seeking one activity for the day, let’s use it as the starting point for a long-term practice of community service. Let’s do it in a way that builds on kids? natural curiosity, empathy, fluid thinking and concern about equality. Let’s ensure that our efforts generate both meaning and impact. Here are some ideas for how:

• Spend time as a family reflecting on issues that matter the most to you – either individually or collectively. Trigger those conversations with prompts such as: What challenges has our family (including generations before us) struggled with? What needs do we see around us? What do all children deserve but not necessarily have? What are the issues that make us the most upset/angry/passionate? When brainstorming, always start with the youngest child so that they don’t get intimidated by the ideas of adults or older siblings. Really listen to their ideas and go with the flow rather seeding ideas for what they should care about.
• Have every family member learn more about the issues and inequities they care about. Start by finding first person narratives that will help kids (and adults!) develop an emotional connection to the issue. Help kids find books, testimonials, videos, or movies that relate to the themes they care about. Next, dig into facts. Along the way, adults can role model your own explorations of issues you care about.
• Identify local non-profits that address the issues of concern through resources like the Catalogue for Philanthropy, local community foundations, or word of mouth. Show interest in your children’s explorations and give support as needed.
• Explore ways to support the non-profit’s important mission. Put kids in charge of exploring websites and social media content. Reach out to non-profits and find out what is most helpful to them. While some non-profits may be hesitant to engage children in formal service, there are many ways that kids can contribute: writing letters expressing support, creating videos promoting the organization, creating art for staff or clients, crowdsourcing supplies or money for the organization. The possibilities are endless but may require some creativity from both kids and parents.
• Once you have identified issues of concern, built an emotional and intellectual connection to the issue, and identified non-profits that could use your support, your next step is to build long-term relationships with your chosen non-profits. Show up by spreading the word, donating, volunteering throughout the year, attending their public events, reading and contributing to their newsletters. Be their champion rather than a one time volunteer.

As Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” In this spirit, let’s make today the day that sets us (adults and children) on a path towards regular and meaningful service.

Amy Neugebauer is the Founder and Executive Director of The Giving Square, an organization featured in the 2021-2022 Catalogue of Philanthropy. The organization amplifies the power of children as philanthropists by testing engagement strategies, developing curriculum, and distilling insights from children. In 2021, 8-10 year olds from over 20 schools successfully and joyfully allocated $30,000 to local, kid-serving nonprofits.

Main Street Connect is the first community-oriented, affordable, accessible housing solution to redefine the concept of inclusion in a large, vibrant community space within the apartment complex itself. Just steps away from the Metro and Rockville Town Center, our thoughtful and purposeful member-based programming breaks down barriers to improve quality of life and community-building for everyone, no matter their age, location, ability, or background. This inclusive mindset and culture of hope and opportunity seeks to flourish beyond Main Street’s walls and inspire a new generation – without barriers, without judgment, and with genuine inclusion for all.

Building this culture of inclusivity must begin somewhere. During the first week of November, Main Street hosted a landmark gathering of thought-leaders from across the country that kick-started a national discussion co-led by people with and without disabilities. Alongside The Kelsey, Main Street heard from Patuxent Commons, Our Stomping Ground, Our Home Inclusive Community Collaborative, The Faison Center, and other keynote speakers with this same goal of Building Inclusivity in communities across the country.

Our conference began on Tuesday, November 2nd with a big Main Street welcome to the 50 attendees from 10 different states and a discussion on Main Street’s vision, mission, and values as a nonprofit. After a good night’s rest, the bulk of the conference commenced on Wednesday, November 3rd where attendees learned about other organizations’ models and projects, as well as larger topics of financing inclusive housing and disability-forward advocacy, all led by experts from several different organizations.

The first session was led by Scott Copeland of RST Development and Main Street, who shared all Main Street had learned about financing and building inclusive, affordable housing for attendees to use in their own development processes. Micaela Connery from The Kelsey followed this discussion with a deep dive into their organization and how they have been successful in building inclusivity, ending the day with a virtual panel that covered the many ways to create opportunities for leaders with disabilities. Accessibility does not end with a sticker, as Consumer Rights Advocate, Liz Grisby, said during this panel, “Just being able to get through the door does not mean you’re accessible.”

The final day of the conference focused on advancing advocacy and disability-forward policy strategies, with discussions led by The Kelsey’s Fatimah Aure and Allie Cannington. Alison Barkoff, the Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community Living also spoke about the federal side of housing and disability rights and the impact the Administration makes, “Each year, over 10 million older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers through [a] nationwide disability and aging network.”

Over the course of these three days, this conference ultimately taught us that we need to…

• be active in local communities with local legislators;
• form coalitions that are co-led by people with and without disabilities;
• remember that disability-forward advocacy takes curiosity, courage, and creativity; and
• celebrate the small wins – inclusive, affordable housing projects take time!

We all deserve to belong in a community where we feel valued and included; affordable, accessible housing projects across the country are working hard to do just that! Together, we can move disability housing forward with goals of ensuring different versions of the Main Street model can exist in any community and that people of ALL abilities have a seat at the table. In doing so, we are setting the standard for redefining inclusion for all.

Main Street is offering a video link for presentations from this conference that includes specific details for HOW to build affordable, inclusive, and community-minded projects. If you’d like to learn more about Main Street, feel free to contact Sharon Cichy at sharonc@mainstreetconnect.org.

Impact of Sexual Assault

Physicians treating patients with a physical wound consult a patient’s health history to tailor their treatments to work for a patient’s individual health needs. From prescribing the right medication to finding the best rehabilitation method, a practitioner creates a unique treatment plan for each patient based on their past experiences and current situation. So, ideally, when working with survivors of sexual violence, health care should look the same, right?

It doesn’t.

In the United States, there are over 433,648 victims of rape and sexual assault each year and the resulting trauma is something survivors can carry with them for the rest of their lives. At some point in time, members of this remarkably large population are going to need to access medical care, regardless of whether it is related to the sexual assault. Yet, many survivors of sexual assault will avoid routine medical help. Female survivors, specifically, will avoid gynecological care as a means of avoiding uncomfortable, triggering situations. In this setting, medical providers can inadvertently trigger the re-traumatization of previous sexual abuse, through commonplace medical practices like a pelvic or breast exam.

The CDC suggests that “examinations of survivors of sexual assault should be conducted by an experienced clinician in a way that minimizes further trauma to the survivor.” However, in a 2008 study, researchers asked female adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse about their gynecological care experiences and found that 82% of the survivors in the sample were not asked about a history of sexual abuse or assault by their provider prior to the pelvic exam – despite feeling that such information would be relevant to their care. Although an understandable defense mechanism to protect themselves from reliving their trauma, a lack of obstetrics and gynecological care can have significant implications on a survivor’s physical health. That being said, in order to best provide care and engage their clients, medical providers must be aware of the far reaching implications of these traumatic events and learn how to best provide services to patients who have experienced trauma.

Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma is holistic and should be treated as such. The field of human services is embarking on a new approach of helping and there is growing understanding about how a person’s trauma alters the way they understand, perceive, and experience the world. Trauma-informed care, according to SAMHSA, “acknowledges the need to understand a patient’s life experiences in order to deliver effective care and has the potential to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes, and provider and staff wellness.” This perspective incorporates the assessment of trauma and trauma-systems into a routine practice and ensures that patients have access to high-quality survivor-specific interventions that acknowledge their unique experiences.

Trauma-Informed Care and Sexual Assault

Simply put, survivors of sexual assault are not being cared for in the holistic fashion that they deserve. Many institutions like doctor’s offices or medical clinics are not yet trauma-informed and many of their practices, although kindly intentioned, may place survivors at a higher risk of re-traumatization and reinforce damaging messages to both staff and clients. While there is growing attention to the traumatic impact of treatment on survivors of sexual assault, the phenomenon is largely invisible to healthcare providers.

For survivors of sexual assault, this appointment may be the first time where they are given the opportunity to address their victimization. Practitioners are uniquely suited to provide support and direct survivors towards helpful resources. Here, practitioners can share information regarding STD and HIV prevention medication, survivor support groups, and other resources (e.g. mental health care, legal services, on-campus support). However, if practitioners are not aware of the patient’s trauma from the beginning, they are limited in their capacity to provide sensitive and appropriate care and could be causing unintended harm to a survivor.

What Can Be Done?

Trauma-informed care and the holistic understanding of trauma are now being used to inform changes in policy and practices to ensure that service providers are better equipped to support survivor recovery and do not inadvertently cause re-traumatization or pain. Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC) is working to be a part of that change.

In Washington, DC, there is currently no standard training requirement or on-going education requirements for OBGYN doctors, nurses, or medical staff regarding trauma-informed care for survivors of sexual assault. To address this gap in care, NVRDC is building a trauma-informed care training project called iEmpower for OBGYNs and other related medical practices in the DMV to bolster providers’ abilities to provide and incorporate trauma-informed care into specific policies and procedures. Care is now being looked at from the ground up, analyzing everything from the minute they pick up the phone and schedule an appointment to the moment they walk out the door. Medical practices must now consider the entirety of the medical appointment and how that may impact a survivor. They may ask themselves questions like:

• “Is the waiting room set up in a warm, inviting, and open way?”
• “Did the intake documents ask about a history of sexual violence?”
• “How did it feel when the nurse asked you to change out of your clothes and into the medical exam gown?”
• “Did the doctor talk to you about what the purpose of the appointment was and did they walk you through the procedure?”

These questions pinpoint elements that are crucial for medical clinics to pay attention to when creating a trauma-informed environment that survivors of sexual assault perceive as safe, comfortable, and supported.

NVRDC has developed two surveys to better understand the current landscape of trauma-informed care among the medical field. The first survey is meant for survivors of sexual assault and provides opportunities for them to share their experiences when seeking out OBGYN care. The second is tailored to practitioners and medical providers, and evaluates the level of training they have received regarding trauma-informed care. Both surveys are currently seeking participants.

In general, as we embrace our roles as philanthropists and aspire to be positive disruptors in this world, our work will not be meaningful if our path perpetuates harm. NVRDC is one of many organizations trying to create awareness, create change, and survey survivors and practitioners to better understand the landscape and fill the gaps in current practices. Change is not easy, but it also cannot wait.

If you or someone you know is a survivor or a medical practitioner and would like to participate in our surveys, they can access the links to our surveys below.

• iEmpower Practitioner Survey
• iEmpower Survivor Survey

If you’re a survivor in DC and would like to access a medical forensic exam following a sexual assault, please contact the DC Victim Hotline at 844-4-HELP-DC (844-443-5732). The hotline is open 24/7.

I will never become homeless because I am too smart to be homeless.

That’s what a young, early teenage version of myself repeatedly told themselves. But why would a child have to say that?

Being raised in the DC area by a mom and dad you knew was not yours only because you attended your real father’s funeral at 5 years of age. Watching your stuff on the sidewalk but mostly watching your daddy’s PlayStation, hoping no strangers came and took it as mommy and daddy figure out where we will stay next. Having someone knock on your door and take you and your little brother away from the only parents you knew. Moving from foster home to foster home, being beaten, molested, treated like a b****** who needed rescuing. These are my childhood memories. These are the reasons the teenage version of me had to convince themselves that homelessness could and would never be an option. Put out of the house by my adopted mom at age 16 to emancipation from CFSA* at age 21 to homelessness, living in different homes up to age 25. From age 16 up to today I’ve lived in over 40 different places.

How did a child manage school, mental health, and other needs through all of this? Well of course drugs and alcohol helped me through 12 years of that trauma. But also that child continued to tell me “You’re too smart to be stuck on the streets. You’re too smart to not succeed.” This child version of me kept me alive for many years.

The trauma the child version of me saw and experienced. How could they be so strong? Why would they want to keep pushing on? This couldn’t have been all that was out there for me. It couldn’t just be struggle after struggle with no gold sitting under a tree.

Today I am the Executive Assistant to the Founder & President of HER Resiliency Center, Natasha Guynes.

It’s not a coincidence that I ended up here. For the past 6 years HER has been here for me. When I wanted to kill myself and was admitted to the hospital, HER was there. When I couldn’t pay bills and just wasn’t stable, HER was there. Natasha answered my every call and not once did she leave me stranded. The day I decided that I couldn’t drink any longer, HER was there. And when I just couldn’t push any further, Natasha found the best rehab she could find and helped get me a scholarship and I went there.

I wouldn’t be 5 months sober today if HER had given up on me like many programs have in the past. I wouldn’t be writing this blog if HER’s founder hadn’t gone through her own traumas and built the resilience she has today. If Natasha would’ve believed that no one deserved a chance to fight another day I would not be here. For that I am forever grateful. For that I am able to share my story with the next woman just hoping that they too will see that there is purpose, that they have purpose, and that they are here on purpose.

Resilient: The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. I’m now able to see that I’ve always been resilient in many different ways but I had to learn how to cope and be resilient in a healthier way. HER is a part of the reason I have the resilience that I have today.

*CFSA – DC Child Family Services Administration