Moses Viveros
Market Manager – NATIFS
Food has the power to bring people together, foster community, and allow us to dream of a liberated future. As a Community Food Systems Practitioner, these are all things that I have seen manifest in community-owned spaces like Seward Co-op. I am running for the board because I believe that we all have the ability to empower each other and build spaces that support us.
I have experience working with various community stakeholders to build community-based food systems that address inequalities and encourage community members to step in and advocate for their own wellbeing and that of their neighbors. Previously in Chicago, I worked as a Food Pantry Manager at an LGBTQ+ center where I was then connected with a coalition of mutual aid groups who collectively came together to build a food rescue network and procure space for all of us to work out of. I have since made my way to Minneapolis where I am working to set up a market with an Indigenous-led organization, which has a mission to advocate for food sovereignty in Indigenous communities.
While I, myself, hold certain marginalized identities, I also hold certain privileges that allow me to be more desirable for positions such as this one. In recognizing that, I aim to make space for all community members to share their thoughts, skills, and experiences so that we can collectively craft solutions that work for all of us. These spaces are also created with the understanding that certain voices, specifically those of BIPOC folks, have been historically erased or excluded. We, as a community-owned entity, can work together to make Seward Co-op a more inclusive space and in turn, in continued alignment with our Ends Statement.
Seward Co-op has come a long way in its 50 years. Even though I have been an owner for a short time, I am already confident that the next 50 years will allow the co-op to continue to expand its programs and resources that allow it to further solidify itself as a testament to the power of community in Minneapolis and beyond.