Help build a student-run Fresh Food Box & farmstand & flea at PS 284. Empower kids to be healthy changemakers in Brownsville, an area with one of NYC"s highest obesity, diabetes, heart disease rates.
Leader
Solomon Long
Location
213 Osburn Street Brooklyn, NY 11212
Seeds in the Middle is working with faculty, students and families of Public School 284 in Brownsville to create a model Hip2B Healthy Fresh Food Box & farmstand and flea market for the community and run by the community that can be replicated by other schools so everyone has affordable, nearby, fun access to fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy options. We plan to hire a local resident, maybe more, who will be paid to run this new go-to healthy destination.
Seeds in the Middle has been working with PS 284 over the last year to create Hip2B Heatlhy Markets, where students sell fresh juices like orange juice and lemonade, plus give out fresh fruit - all for 50 cents each. We also bring in produce for donations or for giveaway. The Hip2B Healthy Market, run at our MLK Day of Service 2018, with fun projects like heallthy cooking, soccer, basketball, no sugary drinks and art and more, was a big success.
Brownsville residents suffer from among the highest obesity, diabetes, asthma, heart disease rates in New York City and that is largely because they have limited access to a healthy lifestyle - like fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking classes to learn how to cook nutritiously and deliciously and nearby fresh produce markets where they can use EBT/SNAP and FMNP.
We believe youth are the change-makers. We will build this weekly go-to market, also building entrepreneurship, with the students and the families so that there is a sustainable way to continue the market and fresh food access.
Students may be able to become shareholders and get stipends for their participation. Neighbors will be asked to buy vending tables at the flea - right across from the Brownsville Houses so that every small business - even if they don't have a storefront - can get a way to publicize and promote their talent
Seeds in the Middle already has approval from the US Department of Agriculture to use EBT/SNAP at PS 284 at 213 Osburn Street.
As soon as we have cash in hand, we will form our Hip2B Healthy Committee to oversee the project, hire a local coordinator to run the market, coordinate with faculty and families, look for farmers to supply the fresh produce and determine the day of the week to hold the market. We will work with students and the community to publicize the market so we can start by mid to end of October to take advantage of fall harvest and be able to supply farm fresh produce in time for November and Thanksgiving.
Brownsville is in central Brooklyn, one of three NYC neighborhoods with the highest obesity, diabetes, heart disease rates and whose residents suffer from shorter, more painful lives than many New Yorkers and the country. Across the country, low-income minorities - African-Americans and Latino Americans - suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases related to malnutrition and lack of access to fresh produce and fitness.
Despite millions of dollars of investment over the past decade, the dire health statistics in these communities have not changed. In fact, they have gotten worse.
We don't believe it needs to be this way.
Central Brooklyn is swamped by fast food, junk food, processed food and convenience stores that sell unhealthy food at cheap prices - food that causes the very illnesses keeping people from leading productive lives. We can change that.
We believe youth are our leaders. PS 284 is a beautiful school with strong leadership, a dedicated faculty, a caring community and the ability to use the lessons learned by student Hip2B Healthy ambassadors to also raise chronic low academic achievement in Brownsville.
This is a unique opportunity for Seeds in the Middle, volunteers and this special educaitonal community to create a model that can be replicated at other nearby schools - where parents and educators also want children to eat healthier food so they can concentrate and achieve higher.
We believe that these resilient communities have talent and drive and can create the same healthy places with healthy fun options for kids and families as in wealthier neighborhoods. They just need help and training and resources to get there. This is our plan - to do just that in partnership. This is a start-up entrepreneurial concept. Please join us