Food, School & Community
Access to fresh, healthy food is critical for the well-being of communities. Yet, food access challenges in Philadelphia are well documented. Legislation introduced to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in June 2009 proposes designating Philadelphia as one of 20 U.S. cities recognized as “Food Desert Zones.” According to The Food Trust, limited fresh, healthy food access in Philadelphia is linked to high incidences of diet-related disease. In 2009, The City of Philadelphia’s sustainability plan, Greenworks Philadelphia, cites a need for expanding local food systems.
In March 2010, TEC-CDC was awarded a three-year grant from the Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance (part of a larger grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation) to address community food access, and the quality of public school breakfast and lunch. The work of this grant will be carried out by a broad-based coalition including Sustainable Communities Initiative West (SCI-West) and a number of community partners and supporters.
This grant will allow us to enhance the work that TEC-CDC and our partners are already doing, while branching out and encouraging greater collaboration to promote systems change, and develop true policy solutions to these pressing issues. We want this grassroots effort to be as broad and inclusive as possible! To get involved, please contact Bryan Fenstermaker or fill out the participant form at http://tinyurl.com/PUFFA.
Food, School & Community Partners:
• Common Market
• Fair Food
• Garden Court Community Association
• The Enterprise Center CDC
• The Partnership CDC
• People’s Emergency Center CDC
• Public Citizens for Children and Youth
• SCI-West
• Spruce Hill Community Association
• University City District
• Urban Tree Connection
• Walnut Hill Community Association
Check out our PUFFA youth documentary films, developed with WHYY’s Dorrance H. Hamilton Public Media Commons:
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
Watch the full episode. See more Public Media Commons.
For more information about the Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance, please contact:
Bryan Fenstermaker
Food, School, and Community Program Manager
215.895.4020
bfenstermaker@theenterprisecentercdc.org