The People's Money (2022-2023)

What problem would you like to solve?

Bronx Eats, Inc. will focus on food insecurity and increasing plant-based cooking knowledge in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. Bronx Eats is proposing several different, yet interrelated, projects in its application to the CEC.  This project is called \"Plant-Based Cooking Classes and Demos for Middle and High School Students in the South Bronx\".

The Bronx is ranked gid://development-app/Decidim::Hashtag/27/62 out of 62 counties for worst health in NY state for the past 13 years. COVID and mortality rates are highest in the Bronx compared to the rest of NYC. Food insecurity in the Bronx is a crisis of epidemic proportions and a central obstacle to personal and public health. Most Bronx neighborhoods, especially Mott Haven, does not offer access to enough fresh produce which we know is vital for achieving optimal health and preventing and even reversing disease. The Bronx has some of the very highest rates of diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and others. And yet, in the very same place, the Bronx is home to Hunt’s Point Market, the largest food distribution center of its kind in the world, earning annual revenues of over $2 billion. The Bronx is also surrounded by other wealthier neighborhoods, boroughs, and counties that have five times more supermarkets and far fewer fast food outlets than the Bronx; communities in the Bronx have been intentionally divested of resources. Bronx Eats would like to change that!

Bronx Eats will increase plant-based, nutritious, scratch-cooking education in schools and provide increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables by establishing food festivals and pop-up events. Cooking education and increased access to fresh produce have been shown to empower people to improve their diets, reduce consumption of ultra-processed and fast foods, reshape their food preferences, and create a paradigm for community health and wellness that includes fresh produce, green markets, co-ops, and community gardens.

Bronx Eats has the local credibility and track record to transform food deserts into food sanctuaries by shortening the supply chain, and creating access to fresh produce, local products, and vegan food within Bronx neighborhoods while also inspiring Bronxites to cook healthier, plant-based, scratch-cooked food at home. 

Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?

Bronxites deserve to grow, advance, and prosper in every avenue of life. Access to healthy and nutrient-dense food is required in order to survive, thrive, and reach our potential. If health is not maintained, neighborhoods have no workforce and human resources are squandered, in addition to putting stress on the healthcare system. Food is not only medicine; it is also a great means of community building. 

We are wasting human resources in the Bronx by depriving people of access to healthy, culturally appropriate, nutritious food, and the skills to prepare it. This can change with an infusion of plant-based cooking education and increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The strength, health, and wellness of Bronx communities depend on this public health upgrade. Food is a basic human right that Bronxites deserve.

What idea do you have to address the problem?

Bronx Eats, Inc. will partner with Chef Genny Mack, holistic nutritionist, plant-based chef, and founder of theEatschool (gennymack.com) to offer plant-based cooking classes at A House on Beekman School, located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx. This middle and high school does not currently have culinary programming in its afterschool or summer camp and Dr. Arlean Wells, Senior Director of Programming, has expressed interest in adding healthy plant-based cooking classes to complement the school’s fitness programming. Food and fitness need to go together!  Funding this project will allow this school to upgrade its programming to include healthy plant-based cooking and eating for its students.

Who would that help?

Low-income and POC Bronxites, including children. The Bronx will become a place of opportunity, food access, and abundance rather than the quintessential example of a racialized food system. Bronx Eats will catalyze Bronxites to feel more empowered in the kitchen, take control of their diets, advance public health, and increase plant-based eating and education on a personal and community-wide level. Bronx Eats will engage every sector of the Bronx community in building a healthier food ecosystem that supports local businesses, creates jobs, improves overall health and wellness, and motivates community boards to advocate its mission. 

What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?

Mott Haven, Bronx, NY