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To honor and celebrate Mrs. Cheryl L Graffagnino for her years of distinguished service as the Coordinator for Local Food System Strategies in the Center for Public Health Innovation at Columbus Public Health and to applaud her for improving the quality of life for the residents of the City of Columbus and Central Ohio.
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WHEREAS, Cheryl was a core member of the team that led the development of the City of Columbus - Franklin County Local Food Action Plan - moreover she helped provide strategic support to include the adoption of the plan by Columbus City Council and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in late 2016; and
WHEREAS, under Cheryl’s leadership, more than 1200 Columbus and Franklin County residents and food system stakeholders helped informed the Plan’s 4 goals and 27 actions which seek to increase coordination and communication among new and existing food system efforts; increase access to and education about healthy, affordable, local food; increase the role of food in economic development; and reduce food related waste; and
WHEREAS, Cheryl, since joining Columbus Public Health, has represented the City of Columbus and Columbus Public Health on the Joint City-County Local Food Team, led the development of the Local Food Board and supported the Franklin County Local Food Council - and indisputably she has been the driving force behind many of the local food system successes; and
WHEREAS, under Cheryl’s leadership, more than $300,000 in local funding has been directed toward farmers markets, farm to school and community gardens and over $600,000 in USDA grants have been awarded to local projects - Cheryl supported the launch of the Linden Farmers Market and the FarmsSHARE programs to increase access to healthy, affordable, hyperlocal food in the community’s most vulnerable neighborhoods - she also led efforts to implement changes to the City of Columbus Zoning Code; changing the code to allow onsite sales of fresh unprocessed fruits and vegetables - this allows local growers to have fresh, healthy food available in the neighborhoods where the food is grown - Cheryl also played a key role in developing the nationally recognized Columbus City Schools Farm to School Program - to include support for almost $200,000 in USDA Farm to School Grants; and
WHEREAS, Cheryl helped support the Ohio Farmers Market Network - a 501(c)3 organization representing the interests of farmers markets throughout Ohio; her backing has led to stronger farmers markets throughout the region - small businesses can now thrive and Columbus residents have better access to healthy local food - in 2020 the City of Columbus realized close to a 96% increase in SNAP sales from the local farmers markets in the City of Columbus and Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, Cheryl was able to provide strategic leadership as a part of Columbus Public Health’s Public Information Team Call Center while simultaneously supporting local food efforts when the COVID 19 pandemic hit the City of Columbus in early 2020 - Cheryl also supported Columbus Public Health’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in 2020 and 2021, ensuring that more than $80,000 in WIC Farmer’s Market Fruit and Vegetable coupons were distributed each year - this program provides WIC participants with fresh, local, healthy food and provides economic opportunities to local growers; and
WHEREAS, Cheryl also helped to plan and implement the highly successful VaxCash program that helped Columbus Public Health to increase community vaccination rates at a time when these rates were declining around the nation; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby express its profound appreciation to Mrs. Cheryl L Graffagnino for her years of distinguished leadership and service as the Coordinator for Local Food System Strategies in the Center for Public Health Innovation at Columbus Public Health and applaud her for improving the quality of life for the residents of the City of Columbus and Central Ohio.