Grant to help fund studies for Healthy Food Hub project.
The Northside Initiative has garnered another grant of $375,000 from National Institutes of Health to study the effects of the Healthy Food Hub on Northside residents. The grant, to be administered by University of South Carolina researchers, will track the effects of the Healthy Food Hub on dietary habits of community residents. The Northside community is situated in what is called a “food desert” – an area more than a mile away from a large grocery store and without easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Being located in a food desert can negatively impact the health of area residents.
The Healthy Food Hub, which will be the first completed project of the Northside Initiative, has the mission to provide healthy foods, both fresh and prepared, to community residents. The facility will also house a community garden, along with a farmers market. The locale will also house the Butterfly Foundation, a culinary training program. The goal of the Healthy Food Hub is to improve the overall health and well-being of Northside residents. Curt McPhail, project manager for the Northside Initiative stated that this grant will “provide measurable data on the [effects] of the Healthy Food Hub”. The project is aimed to be finished in the summer of 2014.
Click here to read more on this article from the Spartanburg Herald- Journal.