» Mount Hope RI Mount Hope Coalition to Increase Food Security

Mount Hope Coalition to Increase Food Security

Mount Hope Coalition to Increase Food Security (CIFS) is a coalition of community partners that aims to educate youth and adults in Providence of the health and economic benefits of producing locally grown food. Through hands-on training, residents will learn of the alternatives available to them in securing fresh, healthy food.

The Mount Hope Coalition used many strategies to accomplish their goal to increase food security in the Mount Hope neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island:

Expand the Mt Hope Coalition to Increase Food Security
Expand & engage the Mt Hope Community Health Worker Team focused on nutrition education, community engagement, and advocacy
Establish gardens and/or urban farm to engage and educate community, build stronger sense of social connection within the neighborhood, and increase neighborhood access to fresh produce.

The coalition successfully expanded the Coalition from 5 to 11 key project partners and an additional 5 informal partners through shared activities and outreach, including:
- Steelyard
- East Side YMCA
- Groden Center
- Church of the Redeemer
- East Side Community Coalition
Trained a team of five (5) community health workers who have worked to implement and successfully achieve key CAP strategies over the term of this project. The team has evolved and changed, and now includes additional support of high school and college interns.
Built two new gardens in the neighborhood:
- 11-bed Sharing Garden in Billy Taylor Park
- 4-bed Teaching Garden at the Vincent Brown Rec Center
Have built a 14 member Garden Squad leadership team and a contact/distribution list of 137 neighborhood households/supporters.
Engaged approximately 250 individual children and adults in program activities at the gardens with a focus on growing fresh healthy produce and nutrition.