The Center for Good Food Purchasing is pleased to celebrate Food Day 2017 with our recognition of our Food Day Heroes. This year we honor a Good Food Institutional Partner, a Good Food Local Partner, and a Good Food Policy Hero.

Among our many valuable partners across the country who have helped expand the Good Food Purchasing Program to a dozen cities and twenty institutions, this year’s honorees are exemplary for their achievements as leaders in the Good Food Purchasing Program in 2017.

Oakland Unified School District (led by Jennifer LeBarre and Alex Emmott) was selected as our Good Food Institutional Hero for its ongoing commitment to growth and excellence in their Good Food sourcing practices and achievement of the four star rating in the Good Food Purchasing Program. The Chicago Coalition (led by Rodger Cooley, Jose Oliva, and Erika Allen) was selected as our Good Food Local Hero for their strategic advocacy on behalf of the Good Food Purchasing Program, leading to policy adoptions by Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Parks District, and the City of Chicago. We honor the late Gus Schumacher for his longstanding leadership as a Good Food Policy Hero. Gus devoted his career to the advancement of equitable access to healthy food, and advanced countless initiatives that were an invaluable foundation for so many fair food efforts around the country, including the Good Food Purchasing Program.

Congratulations and endless gratitude to our Food Day Heroes.