Second Harvest Foodbank is committed to creating a volunteer community where everyone feels safe and welcomed. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on age, race, gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to cultivating an anti-racist environment for volunteers, staff, and community members.
What is racism? Racism equals race-based prejudice plus power for example economic or social power. It can be conscious or unconscious and occurs at the individual, institutional and structural levels. (Interpersonal racism: Prejudgment, bias, or discrimination by a White individual toward a person of color.)
What is discrimination? Unequal treatment of members of various groups, based on conscious or unconscious prejudice, which favors one group over others on differences of race gender, economic class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, language, age, national identity, religion, and other categories.
Anti-racist practices in the volunteer department:
- We welcome everyone and celebrate identity and difference. We practice affirming language.
- We commit regular time to reflect on our actions, practices, and structures. We are intentional about professional learning opportunities to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion both individually and departmentally.
- We focus on the impact of our words and actions, not intent. We believe our BIPOC volunteers, staff, and community members when they say something is racist, and we work to repair harm.
- We call out racism when we see it.