$10,000 to Feed My Community by Gabrielle

$10,000 to Feed My Community by Gabrielle - May 2019 Scholarship Essay

In my hometown of James City County, Virginia, the lack of access to nutritious food makes life difficult for many people. According to the Virginia Food Desert Study Report, nearly a third of residents of my hometown lack access to grocery stores that sell fresh produce. They are limited to shopping at convenience stores and gas stations for cheap but nutrition-less food options, contributing to an obesity rate of nearly 27% across the county and earning it the title of "food desert." (1)

My hometown is not alone in its struggle to maintain its citizens' health. According to Tulane University, nearly 23.5 million Americans reside in food deserts. (2) Though the situation may seem bleak, one particular solution has proven to be effective in bringing fresh produce to food deserts while simultaneously improving citizens' psychological health and fostering community. Community gardens allow people to grow their own produce in both urban lots and rural areas, cultivating their physical health while fostering citizens' self-respect and pride in their community, boosting their psychological health and fostering a sense of community.

A $10,000 grant would enable me to bring a community garden to my hometown and remove from it the label of "food desert." James City County is filled with empty lots that are suitable for gardening and that could be leased from the county for a low cost. $10,000 would obtain a plot of land, seeds, tools, and training so that I could start a garden in my town and provide my neighbors with the knowledge they would need to grow their own produce. This garden would be a gathering place for my community and would also benefit my neighbors economically by providing produce that they could buy and sell amongst each other. With $10,000, I could feed my community—literally and figuratively—for many years to come.

Sources
(1) Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. Virginia Food Desert Study Report. 2014, p. 27, https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/VCE/VCE-294/VCE-294_pdf.pdf. Accessed 8 May 2019.
(2) Tulane University School of Social Work. Food Deserts In America. https://socialwork.tulane.edu/blog/food-deserts-in-america. Accessed 9 May 2019.