Working Toward a Blueprint for a Bountiful Harvest
Community Partners Take Giant Steps to Understand and Eradicate Hunger in Central Ohio [COLUMBUS, OH] It’s more than a craving; the City of Columbus is hungry for access to good food in every corner of the community.
Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Priscilla Tyson, Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady, Local Matters and Columbus Public Health have diligently worked for 18 months studying food deserts, waste patterns and access to create a local food action plan. Now, they are ready to bring the conversation to residents with five community work sessions designed to refine and solidify the plan.
“Access to local healthy foods continues to be a growing need in all of our neighborhoods,” said Council President Pro Tem Priscilla Tyson. “Together, we can create a final plan that works for everyone in Columbus.”
The Local Food Action Plan has a definitive vision to create a fair and sustainable food system that benefits our economy, our environment and all people.
“Community input is vital to the success of the Local Food Action Plan,” said Commissioner O’Grady. “A strong local system of food production, distribution, and access is essential to the health of our community, its residents, and its economy. Nobody has a greater stake in this plan than our Franklin County residents.”
The City of Columbus and Franklin County, together with Local Matters and other community partners, have developed the draft Food Action Plan to increase coordination, access, education and grow the local economy
“We have studied and have definitive goals,” said Tyson. “Now, we need community input to measure the viability of these goals and the proposed process to achieve them.
“This is more than a statement,” Tyson continued. “We are drawing a line in the soil. This is more than adding grocery stores. We need a multifaceted approach to collectively solve our issues.”
The series of community meeting/work sessions are scheduled throughout the City. In addition to the meetings, the draft plan and an online survey to provide input are available at www.columbus.gov/lfap.
The dates are as follows:
August 25 - 6pm
North Side Health Advisory Committee
North YMCA
1640 Sandalwood Place, Columbus
September 14 - 2pm
Near East Health Advisory Committee
Neighborhood House
1000 Atcheson St., Columbus
September 15 - 6pm
South Side Health Advisory Committee
Church for All People
946 Parsons Ave., Columbus
September 20 - 4:30pm
Franklin County Local Food Council
MORPC
111 Liberty St., Columbus
September 20 - 5:45pm
Central Health Advisory Committee Food Meeting - St. Stephens Community House
1500 E. 17th Ave., Columbus
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