Indianapolis Food Access Advisory Commission

We are thrilled to announce that on September 22nd, our County Extension Director, Laura Dodds, was appointed as an inaugural member of the Indianapolis Food Access Advisory Commission (IndyFAC) by the Indianapolis City-County Council. 

The IndyFAC,  a 13 member Commission that advises food access policy creation for the City of Indianapolis, is co-chaired by the Director of Community Nutrition and Food Policy, Ms. Milele Kennedy. This Commission is a notable and historic commitment by Indianapolis to prioritized activities and policies to ensure all residents have equitable, affordable, community-driven resources to access nutritious food. The Commission is intended to represent diverse, mindful perspectives interacting with the food space including farmers, transportation and health officials, small business owners, nonprofits, community leaders, and Purdue Extension.

“We see Purdue Extension as an instrumental tool for activating communities to create their own food access solutions,” said Director Milele Kennedy. “Having Ms. Dodds on the board will bring valuable insight to guide decision making and inclusive practices for the Commission, and also a direct partnership with the broad resources of Extension programming.”

IndyFAC Values:

• Healthy Food As A Fundamental Human Right and Necessary Component of Health and Well-Being,
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
• Community Leadership,
• And Transparency and Access.

“It is an honor and privilege to work alongside so many professionals working tirelessly to improve the health of Indianapolis residents and our overall food system,” said Laura Dodds, County Extension Director. 

In addition to the Commission, a new Indianapolis Community Food Access Coalition will be created replacing the Indy Food Council. The Coalition will work alongside the Commission members to ensure community voice is present in all decision-making.