Local food justice in the heart of a food desert
by Tinece Payne
The Warnersville Community of Greensboro North Carolina, is in the heart of a food desert. Every Friday in the parking lot of Jones Elementary a local food pantry attempts to bridge the gap.
Weekly, well over one hundred people line up and stand for hours in the parking lot in back of the youth in the photo below. They are huddled in the cold to get day old and expired food donations off of a huge truck. The closest grocery store to the community is about 25 minutes away walking distance away up a heavily traveled steep inclining main street that leads into and out of the downtown area from a major highway.
This town is home to major refineries and factories spewing emissions into the low income housing community almost constantly.
A majority of people’s food benefits are used at corner stores close to the community filled with unnatural and harmful ingredients. It is obvious why many people suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
I care about the health of the people in this community. I am using my knowledge to bring Justice to the local community with International Permaculture, Self Sufficiency, and Education. The knowledge and support from an incredible group of women from all over the world has given me the tools to create a solid foundation to better serve the population of communities plagued by eco-racism . Our women’s co-op provides low and no cost training and healing to women in the community in order to empower them and strengthen themselves and their families.
Select Healing Springs Farmacy Women’s Co-Op Members, Olivia Williamson of Lovology, Joy Maat of Kemetic Arts24, and Lakesha Woodruff from House of Unity, have joined forces with Earth Feathur and The Permaculture Women’s Guild as students dedicated to bringing an abundance of health and food justice to the communities affected through classes, training, and outreach in their communities.
Visit our website at http://www.viyc.org to learn more about our non profit founded in 2008 and check out our Summer offerings for our all Women Building & Healing Workshops Centered Around Community Justice. www.modernsacredwoman.eventbrite.com
