I'm raising money to start a Food Garden! Donations will go toward initial set up and maintenance for items such as raised garden beds, rain collection barrels, seeds, fruit bushes and trees, soil, and gardening tools.
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Food Insecurity is defined as the inability to provide all household members at all times with enough food for active, healthy lives. The Indiana State report shows that almost 20% of homes in Delaware County, Indiana are food insecure, and, despite there being 54% of families qualifying for food assistance, they still experience a lack of accessibility to nutritious and affordable food, even though the community is surrounded by productive farmland.
Many urban areas are food deserts. In fact, a large part of Muncie is. This makes it nearly impossible for members of the community to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price. Lack of access to affordable and nourishing food causes many health issues to residents living in these neighborhoods. Those who live in a food desert experience an increased risk in obesity, obesity related diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders. This is especially true for low-income neighborhoods.
Food insecurity causes a myriad of issues not just for the individual, but the community as well. We often see increased crime rates, drug use, as well as poor diet and exercise leading to obesity.
During the 2010 Census, there were 4,699 vacant housing units in Muncie, IN. Many of these properties fall quickly into a state of ruin and attract some of the unwelcome activity listed above. Let’s not forget these vacant and neglected properties become illegal dumping sites for litter and chemicals that have a harmful effect on the environment.
The more we experience the scarcity of what we need to survive, the more we will continue to see our emergency rooms full, preventable diseases and ailments relating to the inadequacy of food more frequent, and drug use more prominent. All of these things pose great health risks that affect our community and prevent it from thriving.
Your donation today will help us start a free food garden for the public of Muncie. We need $10,000 to purchase raised beds, soil, fruit trees and bushes, trellises, rain collection barrels, and seeds. We will also need supplies such as wheelbarrows, miscellaneous gardening tools, gloves, etc.
Donate today to help minimize the impact of food deserts.
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