TWEF received a $60K grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas at the ribbon-cutting for its Healthy Kids Healthy Families program’s urban garden. The Harris County Healthcare alliance study showed more than 25 percent of children in the county live in food insecure homes and TWEF’s urban garden is within a USDA designated “food desert.” The residents have to drive four miles roundtrip to the nearest grocery store. With this program, they will have products nearby. The new eight-acre garden will provide the produce for a local farmer’s market. The youth and elderly will enjoy gardening, which will provide intergenerational and cross-cultural connections within this food desert. All will now have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and weekly physical activities. They will have the opportunity to grow and sell their fruits and vegetables to people in the neighborhood.
