BY JENNIFER ATTILUS
Food insecurity, the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food, is an epidemic that is plaguing the United States and even our very own backyard, Miami. In many of the communities of Miami, residents do not have access to grocery stores and in turn, no access to fresh fruits and vegetables. With this in mind, an innovative non-profit organization is working to bring fresh foods to these “food deserts”.
Health in the Hood is a not for profit organization that works to convert naked lots in the inner-city communities of Miami, into accessible vegetable gardens for the community’s residents. The organizations founder Asha Walker (@healthinthehood) describes these low-income neighborhoods as “food deserts” because they are more than a mile away from a grocery store and only have on foot access to corner and convenient stores.
Walker and Health in the Hood not only build these gardens, but they create sustainability by involving the community. There is a designated Garden Manager hired from within the community that upkeeps, harvests and distributes the vegetables to the community’s residents. The organization is also working to educate the community members on healthier eating habits and choices and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Health in the Hood is looking to the future after recently receiving a mobile bus as a gift. Walker explains that with the addition of the mobile bus it will allow them to extend their outreach to communities where there is no garden. Aboard the bus is a mobile fresh market where community members can choose different fresh items to add to their kitchen. Generous donations and grants from around the city have allowed Health in the Hood to grow to what it is today.
If you would like to donate, please visit https://www.healthinthehood.org , or contact Asha Walker directly at (305)714-2264 or by email at a.loring@healthinthehood.org. Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities with Health in the Hood via our Miami Community website.