​LHENA Talks Speaker Series

LHENA Talks is a monthly speaker series that takes place on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. Each talk features a guest speaker and focuses on community issues of interest and is sponsored by a local business. LHENA Talks strives to bring together residents, businesses, and community members alike to foster a space for fruitful discussions while highlighting the amazing work being done in our communities. Interested in being a speaker or sponsor? Take a moment to fill out this form. ​​

LHENA Talks No. 4: Creating Health, Wealth and Social Change Through Food with Princess Haley and Appetite for Change

This LHENA Talk focused on the work Princess is doing with Appetite for Change to build health, wealth, and social change in Minneapolis through food. How do they bring people together to learn, cook, eat, and grow food, creating change that lasts? What is the future for the local food justice movement in Minneapolis? How can we get more people more food access so no person goes hungry? How can we create more opportunities for people through food? Princess answered those questions and explained her work at Appetite for Change, their programming and community outreach, and the impact the organization is making in terms of improving diets, getting people access to fresh local food, food education, job creation, economic growth, business development, policy change, community wellbeing and social connectedness.
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Speaker: Princess Haley

Princess Haley is the cofounder and senior engagement officer of Appetite for Change, a nonprofit organization based in North Minneapolis that focuses on food justice issues and the food system in Minneapolis. With Appetite for Change, Princess builds connections and nurtures relationships in the community. She has worked in North Minneapolis as a licensed trainer and educator for more than 20 years. Princess is passionate about working with families to build healthy foundations for lifelong learning. 

Sponsor

The local sponsor for the talk is the Hue-MAN Partnership, a community-based organization in Minneapolis that helps men, families and communities get healthy. Hue-MAN Partnership consists of healthcare, community and professional organizations working together to address the health crisis among young and middle-aged men, particularly men of color. With a focus on medical health and community outreach, Hue-MAN collaborates to reduce health disparities among men in the community. The collaborative efforts have further empowered and equipped men to make healthy choices for themselves, their families, and their communities.

More About This LHENA Talk

Other talking points in Princess Haley's LHENA Talk included:  ​

• The power of food. What impact has Princess seen on and in the communities of Minneapolis through Appetite for Change and their work?
• Working with the community. Appetite for Change has organized hands-on food workshops called Community Cooks. How have these workshops been received by the community? How is getting the community involved in cooking therapeutic — even healing? 
• Community building through food. What has Appetite for Change learned by listening to the needs of the community? Why is it important to be responsive to the needs of the community as the community sees them, not as they are prescribed for them?
• Building trust and staying power. What lessons has Princess and Appetite for Change learned from their on-the-ground community work?
• The role of food and public safety. How has the community changed its relationship to food? How might other changes make the community healthier and safer? Could food help the community alleviate some of its fears and turn fear into positive actions? How can food and food justice issues promote optimism and spur people to take action and create change?
• Finding practical solutions to the challenges communities face. Can Appetite for Change scale its community-focused approach and reach more people? What are some steps people could take in their daily diets and lifestyle to start seeing positive changes in their lives?
• Why is it important for all of us who live and work in a community to unite and focus on investing in our communities and supporting local food businesses as we grapple with social pressures and change? How can the community support local food businesses and help them thrive?
• The future of food, health, wealth and social change. How is food a fundamental building block for systemic change and societal growth? How can food advance real social change that benefits everyone in the community? What steps can we take now to spur community growth and development with food? Where do we go from here?