PS1010: American Government – Honors, Reflection
Throughout this semester, my PS 1010 group worked to better understand the distribution of affordable and accessible healthy food options in the city of Detroit. I am a college student who grew up in the suburbs, was privileged enough to attend an International Baccalaureate high school, benefits from merit-based scholarships, and lives in trendy Midtown, Detroit. There are cafés on every street, a Whole Foods Market a five-minute walk from my dorm room, and everything from salads to sushi directly on campus. However, not everybody living in Detroit can afford to eat at these food outlets nor do they have access to reliable transportation that can get them to these food hotspots. A harsh reality that many low-income individuals and their families face is dining via McDonald’s value menu or grocery shopping at CVS. As I delved further into how this particular problem affects the area that I live and learn in, I found myself shocked to learn about its depth and breadth. My own privilege was emphasized to me while conducting research, because I have never had to worry about going hungry while living in a city where childhood poverty rates are among the most significant in the country. What shocked me the most about food accessibility in Detroit is that liquor stores and convenience stops are more prominent in the city’s low-income areas than tangible sources for healthy food. It is easier for families to buy alcohol and feed their children junk food than to obtain the actual nourishment and nutrition.
My initial understanding of public policies in relation to food accessibility and poverty were legislative efforts mandated at the federal level. I was able to focus on the programs enacted by the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), specifically to alleviate the consequences of food inaccessibility for impoverished populations: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Despite the institution of these services, their solutions are not definitive. Although millions of Americans – especially single-parents and children - benefit from federal programs, there are limitations that inadvertently hinder their effectiveness. Through further research, my group was able to come to the understanding that these shortcomings are systemic in nature. Barriers exist that do not necessarily take into account an individual’s ability to apply for these programs and subsequently, gain approval for the reception of benefits. Some of the reasons individuals are unable to qualify for federal aid are a intrinsically linked to their ability to maintain a job, own a car, safely seek out transportation, read and write, or even schedule their availability to meet application requirements. It must also be noted that some of these components are also dependent on inequalities attributed to race, educational opportunities, and circumstance – aspects that are not always able to be controlled. As my group continued to conduct research about food accessibility as a complex entity with vastly inhibitive consequences, we grew incredibly invested in our direct action plan.
As we read scholarly articles, looked at statistics, and evaluated existing policies and the efforts of powers within all spheres (family, civic, government, and market), our direct action plan was born out of a desire to actively connect with people who are struggling with food accessibility. We wanted to create something that would allow us to feel the effects of our direct action plan, directly. Thus, our idea for a nonprofit organization based upon a redistributive food box system was born. With inspiration from “get a product, give a product” services like TOMS and Warby Parker, we want to sell boxes filled with Detroit-grown/based healthy food options at artisanal market sites. For every box sold, the proceeds will be used to fund the creation and distribution of boxes to community hubs – designated areas with high densities of low-income individuals affected by food inaccessibility. In order to facilitate these plans, my group set off making connections with local change makers and organizations so that we could learn about the logistics and implications of social entrepreneurship. After researching urban sustainability in Honors 1000 last semester, I was inspired to reach out to the leaders of Green Garage, a green business incubator located in Midtown. At a Green Garage community luncheon, we were put in contact with the executive director of FoodLab Detroit, Nabeleh Ghareeb. From there, we spent time every week working with her team to develop our nonprofit. Additionally, we connected with the food access coordinator of the Eastern Market Corporation, Myles Hamby and benefitted from the advice of Amy Nelms of Gleaner’s Food Bank. From these partnerships we have gained pertinent knowledge as we continue on this path to turn our idea into a reality. Ultimately, we hope to continue strengthening these partnerships and working on our nonprofit beyond this class. We want to spend the summer developing our first pilot box and actually creating this program.
In terms of the process of group work, the pros outweighed the cons. A definite pro was that everyone in our group was able to contribute ideas that made our work stronger. We were able to reliably depend on each other throughout the semester and together, we never missed a deadline and fulfilled all of our academic requirements. Our group communicated effectively and honestly, we always kept in contact when trying to organize meetings or discuss our papers. However, a con would be that it became clear that some of us were more invested in the creation of a nonprofit organization than others. Our direct action idea transformed into what we anticipate will be a monumental, yet satisfying task. It was understandable that some members just did not have the necessary availability to commit to this extra work. On the other hand, I know that the skills and experiences I gained because of this task will shape the rest of my life. For instance, I now have a greater understanding of a serious issue that affects many lives in a city that I care deeply about. Also, learning about social entrepreneurship and the organization of nonprofits from professionals has given me a firsthand perspective of the amount of planning and forethought it takes to achieve substantial results when calling for change. Overall, I am determined to be a part of a team that will continue to develop stronger skills within the civic sphere as we push to perpetuate this project.