Let Them Eat Junk

I really enjoyed reading this week's article "Let Them Eat Junk." There were two quotes in the article that really struck me and I felt the corresponded accurately to the work I'm doing this summer.

Quote #1: "And poor nutrition often accompanies this hunger, as low-income families adopt eating strategies that fill rather than nourish."
Councilman Joe Cimperman, one of my school's community partners, has a quote that pertains to this acricle and my work this summer. In Cleveland, he says, it is 5x easier to get a Big Mac than a banana. Availability is key to ensuring those below the poverty line eat healthier. Cleveland is working to get a community garden within every 5 city blocks and we are hoping that our work this summer can get the city closer to that goal.

Quote #2: "Eating healthily on a low income migh tbe feasible for those with vehicles, stoves, refrigerators, and accessible supermarkets--but such conveniences aren't necessarily standard below the poverty line."
At the Heights Emergency Food Center, 3 days worth of groceries per person, are provided to families each time they visit (which can be up to once per month). Athough a majority of the items are canned goods and boxed products, the center is able to provide fresh produce to the families when it is available. The produce from one of our gardens on campus is donated to the center. One of our ideas for the summer is to work on a way to teach the clients that visit the center ways to prepare the foods we provide to them in a healthy way, considering they might not have accessibility to a supermarket or even a refrigerator.