It has been a busy autumn season for the Culinary Medicine Program. We have focused our efforts on searching for funding, writing grants, hosting events, and planning our debut conference. We are a small but mighty team that has enough enthusiasm to sustain our lofty efforts. Fortunately, all the hard work has paid off; we are proud to announce that we received a portion of the Chancellor’s Circle Grant again this year.
During an award ceremony on Monday, October 23, Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis and Alyssa Frisby accepted a check made out to Culinary Medicine for funds to be used to support the UAMS 12th Street Community Healthy Neighbor Project. The Chancellor’s Circle Grant is given out to a select few, and Culinary Medicine is proud to be one of the recipients this year. The goal of the grant is to provide funding for recipients to develop specific projects. The Culinary Medicine Team submitted a proposal to focus on providing resources to communities living in food deserts.
Our new venture, The UAMS 12th Street Community Healthy Neighbor Project, will provide cooking demonstrations, information on preparation of healthy meals on a budget, and nutrition and lifestyle education to community members living in the 12th Street corridor at the 12th Street Community Café. These educational efforts will be enhanced by the provision of fresh produce sourced through collaboration with the UAMS Culinary Medicine program, nutrition services, and external partners. Sessions will align with the 12th Street Health & Wellness Center operating hours to improve access for residents in the 12th Street corridor. Programming will be culturally responsive to create a welcoming environment for all participants. In addition to this programming, participants will receive education and assistance with SNAP and WIC enrollment as well as the Double Up Food Bucks program (SNAP) and the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC) which allow recipients to receive produce at participating farmer’s markets.
We plan to begin recruiting participants in November and aim to have our first session in December. By providing access to fresh produce, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition education, the goal of this initiative is to lay the groundwork for improving health outcomes for community members in the 12th Street corridor and those who utilize the 12th Street Health & Wellness Center. We look forward to making this project a reality.
