Community Food Security - read the Hunger Commission's food access study and download free food access study materials including curriculum for nutrition education workshops.

Avondale/Glen Elder Update

In Fall of 2003 the Sacramento Hunger Commission proposed to plan and coordinate an action oriented community food assessment of Avondale/Glen Elder, a low-income South Sacramento neighborhood. This neighborhood was chosen for assessment because of its manageable size and because it is relatively well organized, thanks to the presence of the Weed & Seed program. Despite this organization, it was a difficult area to assess because of the great plurality of cultures and languages. The report for the Avondale/Glen Elder Community Food Assessment has now been successfully completed!

After beginning his term of service in November 2003, Hunger Commission VISTA Jake Salcone designed a comprehensive plan for assessing food security and food access in Avondale/Glen Elder. Last winter and spring Hunger Commission intern (now program assistant) Tanya Kaplow and Jake Salcone conducted great sums of research regarding the status of food security and food access in Avondale/Glen Elder. Each food resource available to neighborhood residents was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in providing affordable, nutritious, culturally appropriate food. Time was spent surveying food closet clients, senior home delivered meal program recipients, and other residents of the community regarding how they feel about access to food in their neighborhood. A steering committee of active neighborhood residents was meanwhile created to oversee and contribute to the assessment.

After collecting volumes of information, Jake tabulated data, evaluated responses, and wrote a comprehensive report that will be used to steer improvements to the food shed in Avondale/Glen Elder. The report concludes with recommended steps that, if taken, will yield a more 'fruitful' food shed, and more food secure Sacramento region. These recommendations can be found in the Avondale/Glen Elder Community Food Assessment Report Executive Summary. During 2005, the Hunger Commission will continue to collaborate with neighborhood residents and groups in order to tackle many of the reports recommendations.

For more information on this project, contact us.

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