Population: 298,011
Project focus: Access to foods that support healthy eating patterns
Goals:
- Amplify community voice in governance of food security and health programs
- Coordinate programs of food access, affordability and education
- Develop model policies and procedures for amplifying community voice in systems governance
Partners and Approach
Green Umbrella, along with The Health Collaborative, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Produce Perks Midwest, Freestore Foodbank and OSU’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, put all hands on deck in order to develop a coordinated, community-centered solution to address issues to food access in their city. Collaborating with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the team applied quality improvement science to redistribute resources to be more impactful and to advocate for evidence-based food security strategies. By teaming up with the hospital’s SAFE Network, the project team and its organizational partners were able to collaborate with community members to identify solutions to food insecurity.
The team also surveyed local food organizations in their city and compiled baseline measures on food access, affordability and consumption to learn more about the food network in their region and where gaps and opportunities exist.
Successes (as of September 2022)
Through this process, the team learned what it means to serve as conveners and catalysts for community-led change. They crafted deeper connections with powerhouse organizations in their city like local government institutions and retail companies, and secured additional funding from Kroger Foundation to continue their community-driven efforts. This shift in local funding practices and their project’s focus on food access and community engagement has positioned the team to work together more effectively toward their broader goal of developing and maintaining healthier lives for all Cincinnati residents!
Snapshot 1 (July - December 2020) | Snapshot 2 (January - June 2021) | Snapshot 3 (July - December 2021)
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