Sankofa Community Development Corporation

Programs: Our fresh stop and mobile market programs provide consistent access of fresh whole foods to people who live in food insecure areas. We purchase whole foods from local farmers, fishers, and wholesale produce distributors to supply our markets. We are operating as a food hub to increase food access in food desert areas of new orleans and build a community based food system through supporting local farmers and producers. We are working to strengthen our community-based food system by linking good food grown by local farmers with consumers, our network of community residents and organizational partners. Build a healthy and economically vital envirnoment for children, families, seniors, and generations to come. Our market accepts cash, credit, snap benefits, veggie rx vouchers and louisiana farmers market nutrition program vouchers. The fresh stop market is a fresh produce retail market in the lower ninth ward area of new orleans, louisiana. As a weekly food hub that operates year-round, the market creates a community space where everyone is welcome. The fresh stop carries locally sourced produce, eggs, breads, and seafood. The market's presence on st. Claude ave. A major thoroughfare in the neighborhood helps to increase access to health food choices for residents. The mobile market is in partnership with villa at st. Maurice to provide fresh produce to senior citizens in the lower ninth ward by providing this mobile fresh food outlet. We are addressing transportation barriers and improving fresh food access for elders in the lower ninth ward.

our veggie dollars program provides vouchers for low-income shoppers who receives supplemental foods and health benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables, and help increase food access through affordability customers who are members of partnering senior centers for mobile market stops also receive senior card discounts when they purchase fruit and vegetables the snap match program increases the purchasing power of residents for fresh produce program participants receive a match of up to 10. 00 with louisiana purchase benefits to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at our markets, the food pantry offers heart healthy fresh groceries at the sankofa community center and snap enrollment or renewal assistance, in partnership with second harvest food bank. The foods we offer to families follow american heart association nutrition guidelines.

our health education agriculture leadership (heal) program provides healthy educational resources to children through partnership with youth community centers and program. Heal provides workshops an healthy food, gardening and nutrition. The mobile market also serves as an educational platform within the heal program to introduce children to various types of whole foods, it's seasonality and nutrition education with healthy food preparation workshops. Our community health program support a local environment with children and families in our community to promote healthy outcomes. We collaborate with partners to provide resources that shift systems that impact choices, opportunities and results. The heal, healthy education agriculture leadership program provides children and their families with a thorough understanding of the nutritional value of a healthy diet with fresh whole foods. We partner with community hubs to provide workshops to teach the relationship between healthy foods and well beings. The heart healthy cooking and gardening classes at the sankofa community resource center and villa at st. Maurice.

our community gardens serve as a model for approaches to improving the built environment in the lower ninth ward. We grow fruit trees, produce and herbs on 30,000 sq feet of land in the lower and upper ninth ward on 6 parcels of land. Environmental substainability, the sankofa nature trail and wetland park is a green infrastructue pilot project in partnership with the sewerage & water board of new orleans to transform 2 acres of a deteriorated natural area in the lower ninth ward into an educational assimilated wetland park.