Posts Tagged ‘community gardens’

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities – Jefferson County

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

It’s about time we gave a shout-out to the fabulous work our friend Amanda Storey is doing coordinating Jefferson County’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) grant.

HKHC is a 4-year grant funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supporting community action to prevent childhood obesity. Via their website:

“With funding through Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, the Jefferson County Health Action Partnership, a coalition of more than 60 partners, is aiming to create ‘a climate for change.’

The Health Action Partnership, with United Way of Central Alabama as the lead partner in this effort, plans to:

  • Involve residents in a community-wide assessment of how neighborhoods, schools, after-school care providers and work sites can better support healthy eating and physical activity
  • Promote safe greenways, bike lanes, sidewalks and trails to connect neighborhoods
  • Support development, distribution and vending policies that will encourage more stores to offer nutritious foods
  • Work with local farms and faith-based organizations to expand community gardens and create opportunities for healthy foods in under-served areas
  • Help day-care centers and after-school programs provide healthy foods and more physical activity by expanding their resources, developing an obesity-prevention health curriculum and training staff on best practices.” (links added by us -ed.)

Amanda blogs over at Food Revival, where her passion for this work is evident. The Birmingham News recently featured a piece about one of the outcomes of her work – “Birmingham’s Aletheia House adds nutritious snacks to its summer program for youngsters.” On Food Revival, she wrote, “What is so great about this story is that it illustrates how your relationships, community connections, and overall interest in making things better can make a HUGE difference in a child’s life.”

Saturday was Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Day at Pepper Place Farmer’s Market, and kids from the Aletheia House’s Kids Who Care camp performed a surprise step show (flash mob?) in the middle of market day to celebrate. A procession chanting “be healthy! be healthy!” made their way to the center of the market square, before breaking out into a step show about fresh fruits and veggies. Check it out:

To read more about HKHC and some opportunities to get involved, visit Food Revival.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | 2 Comments »

Mobile mobilizes against hunger

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Tuesday, over 50 passionate, motivated, and dedicated members of the greater Mobile faith community joined us at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church for Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, our third hunger and food security workshop.

Oak McCullough of the Bay Area Food Bank reported in on some of the food bank’s projects, including mobile food pantries, and explained how food banks operate.

Doug Jolly of South Brookley United Methodist talked about Angel Food Ministries and brought us a box of food to show us how much food comes with one of their affordable food packages, which are available for any family or individual.

Two of our favorite folks from DHR, Mary Lois Monroe and Pat Huffman, talked about state food assistance, while our own Haley Heckman shared her experience with food stamps. We also met Donna Martin of the Mobile County DHR who told us how to get food assistance applications on the fast track.

Pastor Mark Renn of Providence Presbyterian’s Providence Farm Community Garden told us the “why” of church community gardens, explaining how his church had decided to garden as a way to become better stewards of creation.

Some wonderful ladies from Providence Presbyterian brought some of their canned zucchini relish, pickles, and jalapenos, which they sell to raise money for the church’s food ministry.

As a surprise, Pastor Renn brought us a truckload of giant zucchini and squash to share. He explained that irregular or extra large produce often ends up in a warehouse, where it sits there for the taking – or until it rots. These women from Dauphin Way’s food pantry and meals on wheels were thrilled to use some leftover zucchinis for their food ministry.

Myra Evans told us the “how” of organizing or working on a garden, even if you lack the green thumb; as she explained, gardening is more about enthusiasm and willingness to begin than a huge amount of resources or experience. She was kind enough to welcome us to town by showing us some of the gardens springing up all over Mobile, including one she started with Hands On South Alabama (below).

James Miles of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service told us about some of the training programs available from ACES and shared some tips for choosing a garden site, choosing crops, rotation, pollination, soil preparation, and watering.

We ended the day by breaking bread and having a group discussion about the challenges we face in Mobile and our plans going forward. You can read some of our reflections here.

Thanks to Dauphin Way United Methodist Church and associate pastor Jorgenson for being helpful, gracious hosts and allowing us to use their beautiful space. Thanks also to our amazing speakers and all the participants, who shared some valuable insights. Props to Publix for donating much of the food we enjoyed. It truly was an amazing day of learning and sharing, and I know amazing things will come of it.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends on the coast as they continue to deal with the economic and environmental effects of the oil spill. (Below: the oil slick on Mobile Bay.)

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Hunger and Food Security | 2 Comments »

In a land of plenty, why do we have food deserts?

Monday, June 14th, 2010

For Alabamians living in the inner city, getting to a place to buy fresh food can be a challenge. The Birmingham News covered this problem yesterday: “For Birmingham’s inner-city dwellers, fresh food is hard to find close to home.”

“Food deserts have become a hot topic around the country, with health and policy experts seeing them as a contributor to the epidemic of obesity and its accompanying health problems, including high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.”

The issue for many food-insecure Alabamians is not that they cannot afford enough food: it is that they cannot access fresh, healthy food. Some urban or rural dwellers – often lower-income families – may not have a decent food source in the area, and many lack the ability to travel long distances for food. Grocery stores serving these communities may not offer high-quality food.

“Glen Ford, a Minnesota entrepreneur who is working to build a chain of inner-city grocery stores that provide affordable and healthy foods, said chain retailers often sell their low-quality products in poor neighborhoods, often at high prices.”

There are many reasons our high poverty rate is tied to obesity and diabetes. Low-income parents and individuals may work multiple jobs at odd hours. They may lack reliable transportation to and from food sources. Fast food, prepared foods, and junk foods are cheap, accessible, and less labor-intensive than homemade, fresh meals. It is this combo of cheap, fast, and filling that is irresistable for the time- and cash-strapped families.

Food deserts are just one important part of this war on obesity, but it is an important part; if Alabamians lack healthier food alternatives, there is even less possibility of changing ingrained habits.

First Lady Michelle Obama often talks about Food Deserts as part of her Let’s Move campaign to end childhood obesity.

Currently, Main Street Birmingham is doing a study of Food Deserts in the Birmingham area to help connect grocers to under-served, inner-city communities. Live in Greater Birmingham? Take this survey from Main Street’s Urban Food Project to help measure food access and food deserts in the Birmingham area. Connecting providers to consumers is one important way to replenish our food deserts.

Interested in discussing these and other problems? Join us June 22 for our Mobile Hunger Workshop, where we will discuss solutions to our state’s systemic food problems. Register today!

Solutions we’ll be talking about:

- Community gardens and urban farming

- Food ministries, such as Angel Food

- Patronizing your local Farmer’s Market

-Reforming school lunches

-Teaching kids to grow, enjoy and prepare food with Farm to Table programs

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Hunger and Food Security | No Comments »

Community garden takes off in Tuscumbia

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Thanks to our friend Myra at Volunteer Mobile for letting us know about a community gardening project in Tuscumbia, Alabama. As the Times Daily reported a few weeks ago, the half-acre project has become a popular spot, with at least 20 people participating and more community members showing interest in the project. They just broke ground last year, but already have plans to expand.

Do you live in North Alabama and want to know more about these types of projects? Plan to attend our September Hunger Workshop in Huntsville, where we will discuss hunger, food security, community gardening, and other ways to share fresh, healthy food with our friends and neighbors. As The Birmingham News reminded us yesterday, many Alabamians are food insecure, especially in the summer months.

Photo: Matt McKean/Times Daily

Live in South Alabama? You’re in luck! We’re going to be on the Gulf Coast for our Mobile Hunger Workshop on June 22, where we will discuss community gardening, food ministries, and other solutions to ongoing hunger and food insecurity in South Alabama. We recommend faith leaders, outreach ministers, social workers, teachers, aspiring community gardeners, and all people of faith interested in ending hunger to join us. It’s not too late to register!

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Posted in Fighting Poverty with Faith, Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | 2 Comments »

Growing Together: A fresh, local food pantry

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Lindsey Mullen, an alumnae of our Montgomery Hunger Workshop in March, shared an exciting update with us from the Growing Together ministry at the University of Alabama’s Canterbury Episcopal Chapel. Lindsey works with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life and is a regional coordinator with Impact Alabama. She is one of the many young people making change in Alabama possible.

“I just wanted to thank you and your staff for the work that you put into this workshop, and to update you on what I’ve been doing with some of the things that I learned at the workshop…

“First of all, at Canterbury we’ve started a vouchers program with a farmer’s market that’s held on our lawn every Thursday, so that the people who come to our food pantry (called the Deacon’s Deli) now receive vouchers to buy fresh, local produce for their families. The idea behind this is that we’re not only providing for those in need, but also supporting local growers and our local economy. We were a bit nervous that the people who came to Deacon’s Deli would have trouble with transportation or wouldn’t be interested in buying fresh produce, but, while we still want to consider how we can help overcome these obstacles, we had a great turnout this past week, and lots of people showed up to spend their vouchers at the market! The funding for this program comes from the money that students raise during football season by parking cars on our church lawn. There’s a full description of the program on Canterbury’s website.

“Something else really exciting is that this evening we’re breaking ground on a small community garden, which we hope will help build community here and supplement our food programs. The inspiration for this project came from what we heard about the Seed to Table project in Montevallo. And, in partnership with UA, the DMC, Homegrown Alabama, and the Druid City Garden Project, Canterbury has been able to hire a summer intern to work on the garden. Through this internship, the Mathews Center is hopeful about exploring networks of people interested in community agriculture, food security, hunger, and other related issues. I’m hoping that this will eventually lead into some statewide conversation on how communities can act together around these issues.”

See a video slideshow of Canterbury Garden’s groundbreaking:

We share Lindsey’s interest in spurring a statewide conversation, as well as more cooperation, collaboration, and relationship building with hunger and food security! That’s why we’re hosting a Hunger Workshop in Mobile on June 22. And why we’re helping to organize the 2nd Annual Birmingham Food Summit in November (more details TBA, so stay tuned.)

Thanks for the update Lindsey! We look forward to hearing more about the great work that Canterbury, and other similar ministries, are doing throughout the year.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Montgomery gardens: “from 0 to 60” in a few months

Monday, May 10th, 2010

We are pleased to report back on some changes happening in Montgomery since we hosted our Hunger Workshop there in mid-March. We invited Edwin Marty, executive director of Jones Valley Urban Farm, to speak with church groups in the area about community gardening, the food system, and hunger justice. Now, as a direct result of meetings Edwin had that day with Montgomery city officials, the mayor signed on to promote an extensive urban farm project in West Montgomery. Dubbed “Full of Life Urban Farm,” it kicked off last month with a small pilot garden on Emerson Street costing only $1,200. Eventually, city officials report they would like to expand urban farming to other areas of the city.

“This is amazing. It’s like they went from zero to sixty just like that,” says Edwin of the project.

Montgomery’s community garden initiative shows how important both community members and policymakers are in getting projects off the ground. The seed of the idea for a Montgomery garden began at the grassroots level last summer, when Voncile Gregory and Andrew Cole-Tyson connected at a neighborhood meeting. However, the project really needed public support and funding, which is where Edwin’s meeting with the mayor came in.

This is just one example of how bringing people together to talk allows small seeds of ideas to germinate and bloom into fully realized projects! If you live in South Alabama, be sure not to miss our Mobile area hunger workshop on June 22. Or, for the Birmingham-area folks, plan to come to the 2010 Food Summit, tentatively scheduled for the first week in November. Who knows what will happen?

Volunteers from St. James UMC prepare two formerly vacant lots for a community garden in East Montgomery. Photo via Full of Life Urban Farm.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Eat, pray, grow: hunger, faith, and community gardens

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

APP hosted Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: A Hunger and Food Security Workshop last Thursday at Capitol Heights Baptist Church in Montgomery. Over 50 attendees came together to break bread and to share information, new ideas and strategies for fighting hunger in the Montgomery area.

We heard from local hunger relief programs (Montgomery Area Food Bank, Angel Food Ministries, Montgomery FBC Caring Center), community gardening experts (Montevallo Seed to Table, Jones Valley Urban Farm) and DHR representatives (Food Assistance Program, JOBS Employment Program) about ways to get fresh, healthy, and delicious food to our friends and neighbors.

DHR representatives Patricia Huffman, Margaret Green and Mary Lois Monroe explain the benefits available from family assistance programs, as well as the challenges of accessing these resources.

One of the best ways you can address the interrelated issues of hunger, rising food costs and malnutrition in your own neighborhood is to start a community garden. See this Slate article for suggestions on how to get started, as well as our Resource page on Community Gardening.

Edwin Marty of Jones Valley Urban Farm and Leanne Read of Montevallo Seed to Table talk gardening.

Thank you to Pastor Warren Culvert and Capitol Heights Baptist Church for graciously hosting the event; Ama Shambulia, director of West End Community Gardens for catering our delicious, fresh, and and local vegetarian lunch; Trevor Jaggers at Starbucks Vestavia and Tina Gilliland at Starbucks Hoover for food and coffee donations.

For more resources from the event, see our Montgomery Hunger Resource Guide.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in environment, Fighting Poverty with Faith, health, Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | 3 Comments »

When there isn’t enough food on the table

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Sometimes my weeks have a theme, and this week’s theme is definitely hunger.  As we hear up for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I guess we are all thinking about those families who struggle to put food on the table.

The Greater Birmingham Community Partners 2009 Food Summit is taking place as I write this.  If you are in Birmingham, and want to take part in the Summit you still have a couple of opportunities – tonight there is a movie night at Urban Standard and tomorrow there is a community garden tour, lunch at Jones Valley Urban Farm and the first Growing Together community gardening class.

Auburn is also thinking about hunger during their Hunger Awareness Week.  Alabama Rural Ministries’ Lisa Pierce is living in a box this week to raise money and awareness about hunger in Alabama.  You can learn more about her efforts here.

While preparing for my talk yesterday at the Food Summit, I came across this survey from Ask Alabama.  A shocking 63 percent of adults surveyed said that they think “a lot” or a “fair number” of families are cutting back on meals due to the economic downturn.

If you want to help address hunger in your community, here’s a resource list we produced this summer for our Give Us This Day Hunger Workshop.  If you have other resources you would like to add, please leave them in the comments.

Posted by Kristina Scott

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Posted in health | No Comments »