Fresh Foods Here will increase the availability of healthful, affordable foods in Franklinton corner stores to promote health and wellness among the neighborhood’s residents.
According to recent studies, poor food access is a major contributor to higher rates of diet-related health issues including high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes among low-income communities.
United Way of Central Ohio is partnering with The Ohio State University Center for Farmland Policy Innovation, Columbus Public Health and Local Matters in creating Fresh Foods Here, which is designed to make healthful food choices more accessible. A key partner in the initiative is Franklinton Gardens, a community based organization that will work directly with store owners and residents in and around the Franklinton neighborhood to ensure the initiative’s success.
Research shows that most corner stores sell and prominently display primarily prepackaged convenience items that are high in salt, sugar and fat. Very few of these stores offer fresh produce, whole-grain baked goods or low-fat dairy products. Franklinton-area residents have no full-service grocery stores in their community, and those limited-service stores that are located nearby are difficult to access without a car.
Fresh Foods Here will focus on increasing consumer knowledge of healthful foods, expanding market opportunities for Ohio food producers, and working with the corner stores to redesign their displays and enhance their inventories. This approach will create environmental changes to increase access to healthful foods that will result in healthier behaviors.
Access to healthier foods will lead to healthier neighbors, healthier children and a healthier community. That helps all of us.
