Community Food Navigator App Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re new to the Community Food Navigator App this guide will help you learn more about the app, its purpose, and its features. Get detailed Navigator App information by login into the App and visiting the Library and selecting Community Food Navigator Knowledge Base.
- What is the Community Food Navigator App?
- I’ve been invited to the Community Food Navigator App, what’s next?
- I am interested in joining the App and have not been invited, what are the next steps?
- How to download the Community Food Navigator App?
- What if I forgot my password?
- What if I forgot my email?
- How do I edit my profile?
- How do I set notification preferences?
- What are the Community Practices for the Navigator App?
- What moderation is in place on the Navigator App?
- What will the Community Food Navigator project do to protect my information?
- How can I contact the Community Food Navigator?
Launched in 2020, Community Food Navigator supports connection and collaboration among the people, communities, and organizations working to strengthen a more equitable and just, rich Chicago region food system.
We designed the Community Food Navigator app with Black, Brown, and Indigenous growers, producers, organizers, and advocates in Chicago committed to strengthening a more equitable and just Chicago region food ecosystem. We have been listening, learning, and creating an independent, community-created app. The interactive app is free to use, and is a tool for people – particularly in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities working towards food sovereignty – to quickly and easily connect and be visible.
Click on your invite link sent by welcome@communityfoodnavigator.org. You will be redirected to the Registration Page. Follow steps below to create an account:
Note your username will be the email address the invite was sent to. The “Referred by” and “My Name” fields are auto populated
- Download the Community Food Navigator App – available in the Apple App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
- Begin by selecting a role in the “I am a” field – you can select multiple roles.
- Create your preferred & secure password (at least 8 characters).
- Read “Accept Terms of Service” and check the box to accept.
- Read “Accept Privacy Policy Terms” and check the box to accept.
- Click “Create an Account”.
- You will be redirected to My Profile page, where you can add an image and share more about yourself so that others can get to know you – let people know your experience, what you’re passionate about, or what knowledge you have to share!
- Sign into the Navigator App – using your new login information.
- Sign-up for an orientation. Upcoming dates will be shared in the Events section found under Community.
We are happy you are interested in learning more about the Navigator App.
First step, complete an interest form. Community Food Navigator and it’s tools intentionally center the collective power and intelligence of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people working within the Chicago region food ecosystem. The Navigator App supports and further builds community connections, visibility and connection amongst growers, food mobilizers, and culturally-rooted educators and chefs working towards food sovereignty.
Once you submit your form, our team will review it and follow-up via email. All new users are invited to attend an orientation, select an upcoming date on the orientation Eventbrite page. Upcoming dates will also be shared in the Events section found under Community (bottom mobile navigation).
Download the Community Food Navigator App from the Apple App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
Once the app is installed, tap to open it.
The app is also available on web browser (desktop or mobile) by visiting my.communityfoodnavigator.org
If you forget your password, use these steps to recover it:
- On the Sign In page, click I forgot my password.
- On the next screen, enter the email address used for the account and click Send Reset Code.
- The system will send a temporary code to the email entered.
- When you click the link, you will be prompted to create a new password.
If you have asked your web browser or a password manager to remember the password, you may be able to recover it from there.
If you have forgotten the email you registered the account with, contact navi@communityfoodnavigator.org for additional support.
- Click on My Profile at the top right corner.
- Click the Edit Profile button
- Share a bit about yourself with the community like:
- Your role in community food (are you a grower, a chef, an organizer, an educator, etc.)
- What can you help others with? Do you have skills/tools/knowledge to share?
- What can others help you with?
- Where do you work/volunteer?
- Add an image
- Click on My Profile image on the top right corner.
- From the drop-down menu click Settings > click Notifications.
- A menu of notification options will appear. Using the switches to the right, click to turn them on or off. If a notification is on, the switch will be colored in.
The Community Practices can be found here. These practices document the Community Food Navigator’s commitment to collective care. We encourage our shared community to foster digital and in-person experiences that safeguard the safety, inclusion, authenticity, and collective well-being of all participants.
We have just begun the development of this shared guidance. This is a living document – as we interact, do, and learn we will improve the specificity and the language with support from our Digital Stewards.
Moderation of the Community Food Navigator App is intended to honor our collective humanity and imperfections while holding each other accountable. While we hope harm is infrequent, as users encounter discomfort, misuse, or harm we seek to lean into conflict as an opportunity for growth and to create modes for community-generated solutions to conflict.
Community Food Navigator staff and the Community Food Navigator Digital Steward Pod are here to support community building across the network. The Digital Steward Pod (DSP) is intentionally stewarded by a rotating group of Digital Stewards, reflective of the digital community. The DSP gathers to discuss and co-create Moderation and Community Practices, Digital Community Building, and technology updates and feedback. When moderation is needed, members will gather and create paths forward.
For more information about the Digital Steward Pod or to be considered for participation please email navi@communityfoodnavigator.org.
In our joint effort to create and maintain credible, safe spaces by and with Black, Brown and Indigenous growers and food producers to connect with, care for and collaborate with each other and trusted partners, we recognize the value of the shared data and information generated by those interactions.
This project, inclusive of its Founders, Stewards, Staff, and many community stakeholders, is working together to build a way to protect and steward the use of information that is shared and offered, so that it benefits the very communities from which modern and ancestral food growing, production and distribution practices originate.
The Community Food Navigator is working to build multiple levels of data and information protection to technically configure secure digital systems, and through people and processes, together as staff and Community Stewards, to manage and monitor data from the time it is collected to when it is used. Navigator is committed to protect the collection of any data by not sharing or making the data accessible or used by anyone without consent of the individuals sharing their information.
There are technical controls in place – the data are secured in an Amazon Web Services (AWS) repository that is only accessible by Navigator’s technology development partners and approved users. AWS includes routine audits and analytics of access and use so that The Navigator is flagged about any unauthorized attempts to access or use app data in unintended ways.
The Navigator, its organizing tools, and services, are intended to be iterative with the idea that we continuously make this model stronger together with the guidance of the Stewardship Ring. Please communicate any issues, concerns, ideas, or positive feedback to the Stewardship Ring, Navigator staff, or group / place administrators in the app or navi@communityfoodnavigator.org.
Report a problem, technology issue, or app feedback to navi@communityfoodnavigator.org.
If you experience unhealthy or negative interactions in our digital space, please reach out to navi@communityfoodnavigator.org so that our team can be in care and support of you.
If you would like to speak with a Community Food Navigator project team member you can email Israel Muñoz, israel@communityfoodnavigator.org