Healthy Savannah’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health grant-funded programs are addressing food insecurity issues.
(SAVANNAH, GA) Young children need fruits and vegetables daily to support healthy growth and brain development but a new study has found 1 in 2 Georgia children don’t eat a vegetable daily and 1 in 3 don’t eat a fruit daily.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released the results of a 2021 study, “Fruit, Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Young Children, by State.” [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7207a1.htm?s_cid=mm7207a1_w] The data indicates the importance of and need for interventions at both the national and state levels that improve young children’s nutrition to support their optimal growth and brain development.
The CDC study cites the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommends that children eat fruits and vegetables each day, and limit sugar sweetened beverages. However, it also found that many young children between ages 1 and 5 years are not eating fruits and vegetables each day and are regularly drinking sugary beverages.
“Two-thirds of Chatham County children 2-5 years of age consume more than the recommended amount of sugar daily and 73% of food advertisements use familiar characters to target children,” said Paula Kreissler, executive director of Healthy Savannah. Kreissler has been at the forefront of a “healthy checkout” initiative to encourage local grocery stores to place healthy items at the registers instead of sugary snacks.
“Moreover, 17.6% of all Savannahians are food insecure and 21.8% of our children are food insecure,” Kreissler said. “Food insecurity is more than lack of access, it’s about being able to find fresh fruits and vegetables near where you live. Improving access to healthy foods is one of Healthy Savannah’s top initiatives through the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant.”
The five-year, $3.4 million REACH grant is administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. The grant was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018 with funding deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods.
Healthy Savannah has also conducted community surveys since 2014, asking residents in priority neighborhoods about their access to healthy food options among other lifestyle topics.
Respondents in 2020 said they wanted more fresh produce at neighborhood stores. In the 2022 survey, participants indicated a general increase in healthy food purchases and the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
The 2022 survey also showed that Forsyth Farmers’ Market (FFM) continues to be a leading resource of fresh food in Savannah /Chatham County. A majority of respondents (66%) had heard about or used the market and (53%) currently purchase healthy foods at FFM, up 20% from 2019. A quarter (26%) had purchased food from FFM’s Farm Truck 912 and three quarters (75%) desired to do so.
“We’re encouraged that people are becoming more familiar with resources like the Forsyth Farmers’ Market and Farm Truck 912, the latter being supported by the REACH grant,” said Kreissler. “The grant has also fueled the expansion of Healthy Savannah’s Corner Store Initiative and the Y’s Fresh Express program.”
An initiative of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, in partnership with Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, the Fresh Express program was launched in 2016 to serve neighborhoods with low access to fresh food.
“In 2022, Fresh Express distributed 9142 pounds of fresh produce to 2028 households in Savannah,” said Ruby Castro, Nutrition Program manager for the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health grant. “The monthly event is now serving three permanent sites at Curtis V Cooper and Moses Jackson community centers every third Friday and Waters Ave & 40th St every first Friday.”
12 local stores are also now participating in the Corner Store Initiative which launched in 2019 to make healthy food choices the easy choice in small retail stores that are often the only source of food in some of Savannah’s low-wealth neighborhoods.
“The CDC study [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7207a1.htm?s_cid=mm7207a1_w] is intended to renew a national focus on nutrition, hunger, and health and the call to improve food and nutrition security,” said Kreissler. “It provides information that decision makers and practitioners need to help ensure children have an opportunity for their healthiest start. We’re already seeing how programs and policies that promote access to healthy food are making a positive difference right here in Savannah.”
ABOUT THE YMCA OF COASTAL GEORGIA/HEALTHY SAVANNAH GRANT FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH: In September 2018, Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. Awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the funding is being deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods. The aim of the local project, called Healthy Opportunities Powering Equity, or HOPE, is to increase the availability of high-quality nutrition; promote physical activity through creating greater access to safe places to walk, run, bike and play; and foster stronger connections between people and the healthcare providers who serve them. Working with more than 200 community partners and organizations, the team is committed to elevating the health and wellness of the community through policy, systems, and environmental change. In July 2022, Healthy Savannah received the CDC’s 2022 REACH Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity Challenge. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals and entities whose work has contributed to advancing health equity.
healthysavannah.org ymcaofcoastalga.org.
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