At the Amherst Survival Center, we know there is no food justice without racial justice. As a result of the long-term generational impact of systemic racism, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) face food insecurity and economic poverty at higher rates than white people, both nationally and locally. We are committed to ensuring our programs work for all, and continue to strive towards cultivating a more equitable and just environment at the ASC. 

In 2016-2017, ASC began focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). A DEI Working Group helped educate the Board and staff, and created a DEI Framework for the organization, guiding decisions and planning. This led the Center to complete the Latinx Food Access Initiative and subsequent Language Access Initiative, actively engaging community members and resulting in improved outreach, new foods offered, and multiple strategies to improve service to speakers of varied languages. In 2019, the Center’s leadership honed in on bringing our anti-racism values into every day operations and integrating our DEI focus throughout each goal in the strategic plan. We began making changes to policies and processes to reduce inequities and improve access for all, including eliminating the proof of address requirement for our pantry shoppers and improving staff recruitment, hiring, evaluation, and compensation processes.