Business.Better
Justmeans is the world's leading source of information and connections for people doing business better.
Promote this entry

Copy
Search Entries
e.g. Martin Smith
Enter keyword for search.
Promote
Facebook Twitter
Yahoo Gmail
AOL  
Details Submit Your Idea Vote Terms & Policies Edit your Entry

Trevecca Nazarene's Idea
Apply & Vote now for the Nature’s Path $50,000 Gardens For Good Grant Contest
« Read Contest Details
1218
Votes
Voting is over
Image

Trevecca Nazarene University’s J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice in Nashville, Tennessee, is dedicated to empowering the neighboring communities of Chestnut Hill and the Napier Housing Projects.

These communities—recently devastated by record flood waters—are home to low-income residents, many on governmental food assistance. These members of the community often lack transportation and, in turn, access to proper grocery stores that offer fresh produce. Instead, the residents resort to the nearest option: convenience stores and mini-marts that often sell their small varieties of less-than-fresh produce at a roughly 20% higher cost than most would find in their local grocery store.

Parents are often forced to choose high-processed, low-nutrition foods due to the lower costs of these foods. Due to the number of working, single-parent homes, convenience unfortunately plays a large role as well. In a community where proper grocery stores are nonexistent, fast food dollar menus are plentiful and well frequented. As a result, 1 in every 2 children in these communities is estimated to acquire type 2 diabetes before reaching the age of 30. This is a direct correlation of poor access to fresh fruits and vegetables at a reasonable cost.

Trevecca Nazarene University’s J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice is active in these areas of the community, having planted gardens in all 3 of the community schools: Napier Elementary, Johnson School (an alternative school), and Cameron Middle (recently declared a charter school). The Center also gleans produce from the local farmers’ market to help distribute to needy families in the community. But the Center has much larger dreams that Nature’s Path Gardens for Good Grant can help accomplish.

It has been a long-term plan of the J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice to create a mobile farm stand that would provide fresh produce on a consistent basis at subsidized prices, and with EBT acceptance. In addition to produce gleaned from local farmers, the installation of a new Nature’s Path organic garden would serve as a great source of produce for this farm stand. Trevecca student volunteers are already on board to aid in running the farm stand.

The organic fundraising breakfast provided by Nature’s Path would raise funds to jump-start this project with much needed items such as a truck, vegetable scales, and EBT acceptance equipment. The meager cost of the produce offered will serve a twofold purpose:

1. The small amount of funds from the produce sold would cover gasoline and truck maintenance expenses to sustain the farm stand.
2. Members of the community gain dignity by purchasing their own healthy foods. Instead of receiving handouts, our community will be empowered with purchasing ability for affordable, fresh produce.

Vote for our idea!
Previous IdeaPrevious Idea Next IdeaNext Idea
Tim Speeker
 Tim Speeker 11am June 15
i really like this