Weavers Way Community Programs has a new name: 

FOOD MOXIE.

We are so proud of the work we do, and of the successes, big and small, for which we can claim some credit: the children who feel proud ownership of the Hope Garden at Stenton Family 

Manor, and who can identify everything growing there and whether it is ripe for harvesting; the adults at Stenton who are learning to cook healthful food on a small budget; the high school students at Saul and at MLK who are gaining valuable life skills while learning about farming, nutrition and food justice. Now we have a name that communicates the know-how and confidence (moxie!) we are cultivating.

Why change our name? “Weavers Way Community Programs” is serviceable — it conveys our connection to Weavers Way along with our commitment to the community. Those are things we want to communicate, and will continue to communicate in the future. But it has also been the source of a lot of confusion for both Weavers Way and WWCP; the Co-op sometimes gets the credit for work done by the WWCP staff, and WWCP has repeatedly had to explain to donors that Weavers Way does not control us, nor does its direct support amount to more than 1-2 percent of our budget. So we embarked on a process that stretched over a year — engaging consultants, debating vigorously at the board level, talking to other organizations and to senior Weavers Way staff. Coming out of that process, we decided to change our name, with the goal of establishing and celebrating our unique identity while maintaining our vital ties to Weavers Way.

For nine years, our small and scrappy nonprofit has been building knowledge and confidence in people — knowledge about where food comes from, how it is grown and how it nourishes us, and  confidence to choose food that is not heavily processed and relentlessly promoted in ads. So when we made the decision to seek a new name, we looked for something that would communicate that sense of standing up against strong forces, of daring to try something different. Indeed, the founding members of Weavers Way embodied moxie when they came together to challenge the status quo by creating a cooperative that empowered its members to subvert the dominant food system. Those of us who are members today continue that tradition, demonstrating our moxie each time we shop the Co-op, choose local products and keep our money in our local community. We aim to instill this same moxie in those who participate in our programs.

The Food Moxie tag line, “an offshoot of Weavers Way Co-op,” communicates our relationship, which remains the foundation of who we are. 

A few years back, we used a quote from someone at the Food Trust in an appeal letter, to the effect that people who care about healthful and sustainably produced food want it for everyone, not just themselves. When then-Weavers Way General Manager Glenn Bergman and the Weavers Way board created a nonprofit nine years ago, it was with precisely that aim: to take the information and access that many of us take for granted and offer it to people for whom it is hard to come by. 

We have honored that trust and commitment with our work, and will continue to do so, with moxie . . . and with your support.