Ohio lawmakers launch healthy and balanced meals grant program
by MARC KOVAC | RPC Statehouse Bureau Published: March 10, 2016 11:05 AM
Columbus — In tiny Vinton County, population around 13,000, individuals have actually to drive a half an hour away to discover a store selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
It’s been that means for much more compared to two years, said Republican Congressman Steve Stivers, whose district entails the south-central Ohio county.
“There’s not a single supermarket in the entire county because September of 2013,” Stivers said. “individuals have actually to travel over 30 miles merely to get hold of healthy and balanced foods, to get hold of fresh foods. They can easily discover frozen meals in and about McArthur, yet they have actually to travel to Athens to get hold of anything fresh.”
Stivers was at the Statehouse March 7 to tips launch the brand-new healthy and balanced meals for Ohio Program, which will certainly direct millions of dollars in public and private funding to brand-new and remodeled stores selling fresh make in low-income and underserved areas.
State lawmakers included regarding $2 million in the last biennial budget as section of the effort, and organizers chance to tips 10-15 store projects about the state.
Grocery chains and independent stores, farmers markets and co-ops and various other types of businesses selling fresh make are eligible for funding. The target is to offer fresh, healthy and balanced meals in areas where no grocery stores or various other outlets operate.
“The HFFO program aims to boost access to affordable, fresh meals in underserved areas, enhance the diets of Ohioans and spur economic development and revitalization,” said Diana Turoff, president and chief executive officer of the Finance Fund Capital Corp., the nonprofit that is administering the program. She added later, “Access to healthy and balanced meals is important to good nourishment and good health, and grocery stores tips local economies thrive by providing jobs and increasing foot traffic to areas, which can easily stimulate additional private investment.”
Stivers said there are “meals deserts” in urban and rural areas about the state, where residents have actually no grocery stores or outlets selling fresh produce.
“As soon as I tell individuals in Columbus that we don’t have actually a supermarket in the whole county, they consider me enjoy I have actually three heads,” said Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell), whose district entails section of Vinton County. “… Access to healthy and balanced meals is so essential anywhere throughout the state of Ohio. It’s essential from a standpoint of battle chronic diseases and attempting to make healthier Ohio citizens.”
Caroline Harries, associate director of The meals Trust, a national nonprofit that focuses on meals access issues, said nearly 1 million Ohioans live in areas that have actually poor access to healthy and balanced meals sources and greater death rates from diet-related disease.
“In these communities, it could actually be a whole lot less complicated to discover a grape soda to discover a bunch of fresh gapes,” she said, adding later, “We already know that living closer to a supermarket can easily tips enhance diet, and it makes common sense. It’s difficult to consume healthily if you don’t have actually access to healthy and balanced foods, fresh fruit, in your neighborhood.”
Funding through the state program can easily be used for property purchases, remodeling efforts and various other costs to expand healthy and balanced meals accessc
Kovac is the Dix Capital Bureau Chief. Email him or her at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.
Rate this article
18
18
Do you wish to leave a comment? Please Log In or Register to comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment