named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Freedom Gardens
A community gardening initiative in Buffalo that increases food security, honors historical legacies of self-reliance, and promotes healing and resilience through land stewardship.
Policy Working Group
A collective of QTBIPOC food advocates and farmers across New York State that builds shared political frameworks, tracks key legislation like the Good Food NY Bill and Farm Bill, and develops an Advocacy Toolkit for systemic change.
Strategic Planning Committee
An internal initiative to strengthen collective governance and deepen community-driven planning within Food for the Spirit.
Western New York (WNY) Food Stories Project
A community storytelling initiative that collects and shares narratives about food access and justice in Western New York, particularly from BIPOC communities, to inform public dialogue and policy change.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Local Food Systems Development 3 activities
- Develops a living Advocacy Toolkit for QTBIPOC food justice leadersCreating a dynamic resource to document, map, and expand the skills and expertise of QTBIPOC food advocates across New York State, supporting collective advocacy and leadership development.
- Launches the 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot for QTBIPOC food advocatesInitiated a pilot program in 2026 to strengthen advocacy capacity, sustain engagement, and build relationships among QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) food and farm advocates across New York State; selected 19 participants for involvement.
- Stewards the Buffalo Food Equity NetworkSupports and leads the Buffalo Food Equity Network, a Black women-led collective advancing food justice in Western New York through collaboration and community-driven strategies.
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Community-Based Urban Agriculture 2 activities
- Co-launches gardening, health, and cooking programs for food self-relianceCo-developed and delivered educational programs in June 2020 focused on gardening, food preservation, harvesting, and healthy cooking to empower community members to grow and prepare their own food.
- Distributes plants, seeds, and fresh produce at the Juneteenth of Buffalo FestivalProvides hundreds of community members with free plants, seeds, fruits, and vegetables during the Juneteenth of Buffalo Festival to promote home gardening and food self-reliance.
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Documentary Film Production 1 activity
- Collects and shares community stories on food access and justiceGathers personal narratives through Zoom interviews and publishes finalized stories on the organization’s website and YouTube channel to elevate community voices and deepen public understanding of food justice issues.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Convenes Strategic Planning Committee for organizational governanceHosts ongoing meetings of a Strategic Planning Committee composed of network representatives, staff, a board member, and a note-taker to guide governance discussions, develop recommendations, and support organizational development throughout 2026.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Coordinates the Agricultural Pavilion at the Juneteenth of Buffalo FestivalOrganizes and manages the Agricultural Pavilion at the annual Juneteenth of Buffalo Festival, providing educational and engagement opportunities around farming, food access, and Black agricultural heritage.
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Regular Membership Meetings 1 activity
- Hosts monthly network meetings with rotating volunteer hostsOrganizes monthly gatherings on the second Tuesday of each month in rotating community venues, facilitated by volunteer hosts from the membership to promote shared leadership and engagement.
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Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
- Uses arts and creative facilitation to advance racial healing and food justiceEmploys arts-based practices and creative facilitation as tools to support racial healing, ecological justice, and equitable food systems.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Launches Freedom Gardens as community memorials and food justice spacesEstablished the first Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park in honor of Jesse Clipper, a Black WWI soldier, transforming public space into a site for remembrance, food production, and community engagement.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$273K
Contributions & grants$216K79%
Program service revenue$56K21%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$244K
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$144K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$82K
Cash$78K
Investments$0
Liabilities$20K
Net assets$62K
Liquid reserves3.8 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -3.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBEKAH WILLIAMS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $66K |
board members · 5
- BRENA NEWELL — TREASURER
- CHRISTINA SPACH — SECRETARY
- JAIME SWYGERT — PROGRAM MANAGER
- ONIKA ABRAHAM — BOARD CHAIR
- STEOHANIE MORNINGSTAR — BOARD VICE CHAIR
relationships · 39
Who they work with
- B.U.I.L.D. Network — Community action organization that founded the Juneteenth of Buffalo Festival, with which Food for the Spirit collaborates through the Agricultural Pavilion.
- BFEN Network — Network with which Food for the Spirit is affiliated and from which the Policy Working Group seeks participants.
- BlackRoots Network — Network with which Food for the Spirit is affiliated and from which the Policy Working Group seeks participants.
- BlackRoots Collective Partner — Represented in the Strategic Planning Committee as an affiliated network
- Buffalo Bills Foundation Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion and provided signed merchandise for attendee engagement activities.
- Buffalo Botanical Gardens Partner — Supported the establishment of the first Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park.
- Buffalo Bypass Network — Network with which Food for the Spirit is affiliated and from which the Policy Working Group seeks participants.
- Buffalo Bypass Network Partner — Represented in the Strategic Planning Committee as an affiliated network
- Buffalo Center for Health Equity Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion.
- Buffalo Food Equity Network Partner — Collaborates with the Buffalo Food Equity Network through joint leadership of the WNY Food Stories Project.
- Buffalo Food Equity Network Partner — Food for the Spirit serves as steward of the Buffalo Food Equity Network, a Black women-led network advancing food justice in Western New York.
- Buffalo Food Equity Network Partner — Represented in the Strategic Planning Committee as an affiliated network
- Buffalo Freedom Gardens Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion and plant giveaway initiative.
- Buffalo Go Green Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion and plant giveaway initiative.
- Buffalo in Bloom Partner — Supported the establishment of the first Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park.
- Catalyst Collaborative Farm Partner — Collaborated with Monti Lawson of Catalyst Collaborative Farm to launch the 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot.
- Catalyst Collaborative Farm Partner — Collaborated with Monti Lawson, founder of Catalyst Collaborative Farm, to launch the 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot.
- Catalyst Collaborative Farm Partner — Collaborating partner through founder Monti Lawson in launching the 2026 Policy Working Group.
- Catalyst Collaborative Farm Partner — Farming and organizing partner whose founder co-initiated the 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot with Food for the Spirit.
- Citi Bank Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion.
- Climate Justice Alliance Network — Roots policy work in the Just Transition framework and Jemez Principles developed by the Climate Justice Alliance.
- CopperTown Block Club Partner — Currently maintains the Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park with support from Food for the Spirit and Grassroots Gardens.
- FLAN Network — Network with which Food for the Spirit is affiliated and from which the Policy Working Group seeks participants.
- Finger Lakes Accountability Network Partner — Represented in the Strategic Planning Committee as an affiliated network
- Food for the Spirit Network — FLAN operates under the umbrella of Food for the Spirit, which hosts the contact point for membership inquiries.
- Freedom Gardens Partner — Project leadership team member organization contributing to the WNY Food Stories Project.
- Fruition Seeds Partner — Supported the Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion and plant giveaway initiative.
- Good Food Communities Network — Aligns policy advocacy with the Good Food Communities framework to advance equitable food systems in New York State.
- Grassroots Gardens Partner — Provides support for the maintenance of the Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park and collaborates on programming.
- Jesse Clipper Post Partner — Supported the establishment of the first Freedom Garden at Jesse Clipper Park.
+ 9 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Arts-Based Community Engagement for Racial and Ecological Healingmethodology: arts_based_healingBy using the arts and creative facilitation, the organization advances racial healing, ecological justice, and food system transformation because creative expression strengthens relationships, builds narrative power, and fosters collective identity and action in marginalized communities.
- Community-Led Power Building Through Network Weaving and Facilitative Leadershipmethodology: network_weavingBy acting as a network weaver and using facilitative leadership, the organization builds local power and collective advocacy because centering community voices, shared leadership, and relational organizing enables underrepresented groups—particularly Black, Indigenous, and QTBIPOC communities—to lead systemic change and sustain policy action.
- Framework-Guided Collective Advocacy and Unlearningmethodology: framework_based_organizingBy using shared political frameworks and action-oriented dialogue within a community of practice, the organization sustains advocacy and transforms consciousness because structured reflection, generative accountability, and alignment with principles like Just Transition enable rural and QTBIPOC activists to unlearn harmful norms and take coordinated action.
- Healing-Centered, Culturally Rooted Food Sovereigntymethodology: healing_centered_sovereigntyBy grounding food sovereignty in African and Indigenous traditions and a BIPOC-centered healing framework, the organization fosters self-determination and community resilience because addressing historical trauma and reclaiming cultural practices enables sustainable, self-reliant food systems in Black and marginalized communities.