This past Friday, thanks to the support of our Healthy Living Partner McCormick Spice, we launched the Y Grab 'N Go Fresh Mart.
Operating twice a month, this traveling Fresh Mart provides families from food desert adjacent communities with a variety of fresh produce options donated by local grocery stores and farms, along with in-person and online educational resources on nutrition, food preparation, and gardening.
“One of the biggest problems our region is facing is food insecurity, with nearly 1 in 4 Marylanders lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The main aim of the market is to promote food security through sustainability. Families are being taught about the process of turning ingredients into meals through healthy recipes. They are even being offered seeds and soil so they can grow their own produce,” says Y Project Manager, Jordan Brown.
Lori Rogers, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Y, is thrilled to work together with McCormick on this innovative and greatly-needed community initiative.
“The Y has been so fortunate to be able to work with McCormick for the past five years on a number of dynamic health initiatives including Flavor for Life, a program that provides education on healthy cooking. McCormick is the perfect partner to help answer the vital food needs of our community,” says Lori.
The Y was thrilled to see over 200 families stop by the Y Grab ‘N Go Fresh Mart on Friday. And it’s only just the beginning! We are also particularly grateful to our Y Healthy Living Partner, the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center for volunteering and handing out hygiene kits with masks to kids.
“Our hopes are that the Y Grab ‘N Go Fresh Mart grows into a place where community members can connect and learn together” says Jordan.
The next Y Grab ‘N Go Fresh Mart will be held from noon – 2pm on July 23rd at Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary School, 1 George and Marion Phelps Ln, Annapolis, MD, 21401.
