Main content

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Adopted June 15, 2022

Our statement:

The Shelburne Food Shelf condemns racism and welcomes all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age, or disability, such that everyone feels safe and welcome in our community.

We condemn all discrimination in all of its forms, commit to fair and equal treatment of everyone in our community, and strive to ensure all of our actions, policies, and operating procedures reflect this commitment.

Our commitment:

We recognize that our core client base is composed of individuals from marginalized communities who are experiencing food insecurity. These individuals are often socially isolated and may have emotional and addiction issues. Many are dis- or differently- abled, are elderly or very young. A large number of them live in inadequate housing and often have financial and transportation impediments.

To best assist our clients in a non-judgmental and equitable fashion, we commit to: 

  • Ensuring the safety and comfort of all our clients in our distribution models by applying an equity lens to all aspects of our work, including marketing, program design, service delivery and customer privacy.
  • Educating ourselves about injustices within the food system, and establishing procedures to address inequities in local food systems.

Our progress:

As we progress in this learning journey:

  • We have established a client advisory group, with the goals of including more diverse viewpoints and establishing participatory decision-making practices.
  • We are developing a better understanding of different food cultures and traditions, and encouraging our clients to celebrate these traditions.
  • We recognize that our clients have different skill sets and bases of knowledge around foods and their preparation and presentation, and are expanding our knowledge of these differences.
  • We support our local agricultural systems by purchasing from them whenever possible, and offering our clients assistance to enable their participation in local food systems, including local Farmer’s Markets and Farm Stands.