In a significant effort to tackle food insecurity and encourage access to nutritious nourishment, the city of Pine Bluff and the Jefferson County Master Gardeners of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture were among four recipients of a $10,000 grant.
On Wednesday morning, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the distribution of grants to numerous community-based and faith-based organizations throughout the state. These grants, representing an initial step in eradicating food deserts across Arkansas, were made feasible through the collaborative efforts of the Arkansas Department of Health’s Minority Health Commission and its invaluable partners.
Pine Bluff First Ward Councilwoman LaTisha Brunson graciously accepted the grant. Since taking office, Brunson has been the driving force behind a significant initiative aimed at securing a grocery store on the city’s east side.
Before Brunson assumed office, Super 1 Foods at the Broadmoor Shopping Center ceased operations. A year later, Family Dollar followed suit, leaving residents on the east side, many who walked or rode public transportation, with limited options for grocery shopping.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
With the grant, Brunson expressed optimism that the community is one step closer to addressing the food desert issue and securing the grocery store. The funds will primarily be utilized to conduct market research studies, catering to the interests of potential investors. Additionally, a comprehensive plan will be implemented to investigate the socioeconomic factors that contribute to the prevalence of food deserts in the area.
“As you know we have a letter of intent with Oasis Fresh Market Foods,” said Brunson. “This could bring healthy options to a food desert on the east side of the city where there is not a grocery store in walking distance.”
The closure of the grocery store has negatively impacted Brunson as well. She now faces challenges in obtaining groceries and expressed the inconvenience of having to travel to distant parts of town to shop for groceries, especially with her two children.
In Arkansas, according to Sanders, families are compelled to travel greater distances than ever before in search of nutritious and budget-friendly food, resulting in increased financial strain.
“The grants we’re announcing today are a good first step toward addressing that,” she said.
Accepting on behalf of the Jefferson County Master Gardeners were club President Kenneth Smith and Jefferson County Extension Agent Timothy Wallace.
In her speech, Sanders shared a moving interaction that the director had experienced personally, an encounter that touched her deeply.
“He works in East Pine Bluff which lost a grocery store last year and became a food desert,” she said. “As he was harvesting watermelons … a boy came up and asked what it was that he was picking.”
Sanders explained how the boy did not know what a watermelon was.
“The director started explaining what it was and cut the boy a piece,” she said. “Naturally he loved it. In fact, he loved it so much that the next day he brought his friends back with him.”
Sanders said, taking a step back, she realized that there was a young boy in Arkansas who had never tasted fresh watermelon, didn’t know what it was, where it came from or why people come from all over the world to Arkansas to try it.
“That’s the reality of growing up in a food desert,” she said. “Today’s grants start small but their impact is enormous today.”
Wallace, also the County Extension agent for horticulture and 4-H as well as Master Gardener adviser, said the grant funds can be used for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, community needs assessments, focus groups, technical assistance and more. The UA System Division of Agriculture will dedicate funds to bolster and expand community gardens in food-scarce areas. To accomplish this, master gardeners and enthusiastic community members will collaborate to enhance the frequency of work and harvesting at demonstration and community garden sites.
“I am so pleased to know that the work we are doing here in Jefferson County is being supported and encouraged to continue,” said Wallace in a news release. “The work we do here with the Master Gardeners is so much bigger than us. It is life-changing for our community and the people we serve.”
The other recipients were Innovative Community Concepts of Pulaski County and McElroy House of Yell County.
The Minority Health Commission, under the leadership of Director Kenya Eddings, has been working diligently to develop solutions to tackle food deserts across the state. In response to food insecurity and access to healthy food, Eddings said they collaborated with stakeholders throughout the state to pinpoint the core issues.
The grant program aims to support community and faith-based programs actively working to eliminate food deserts in their regions. Secretary of Health Renee Mallory emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stressing the link between food deserts and chronic health conditions. She commended the grant recipients for their innovative solutions and highlighted the potential impact of their work on the overall health of Arkansas communities.
In addition to the grants announced, Sanders said she has implemented several other initiatives, including signing Arkansas up for the summer EBT program and expanding free school breakfast and lunch.
Sanders expressed her strong support for the program, emphasizing the state’s commitment to ensuring that no family in Arkansas goes hungry. She highlighted the importance of addressing food deserts, particularly in rural and low-income areas where transportation options are limited.
Expressing his appreciation, Minority Health Commission Chairman Sederick Charles Rice extended gratitude to the governor and the recipients of the grants. Additionally, he acknowledged the dedication of the grant recipients in enhancing the health and overall well-being of their communities.