Food deserts in Green Country

Food deserts in Green Country

23-AND-A-HALF MILLION PEOPLEIN THE UNITED STATES....LIVE INFOOD DESERTS..

THAT'SACCORDING TO THE U-S-D-A.THEY'RE TYPICALLY PEOPLEWITH LOW INCOMES... LIVINGMILES AWAY FROM THENEAREST GROCERY STORE.TONIGHT..

WE'RE TAKING ANIN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE PROBLEM-- AND TALK TO THE ONESWORKING TIRELESSLY TO FIND ASOLUTION..

TO BECOME"OKLAHOMA TOGETHER"OF THE 19-PERCENT OF TULSANSLIVING IN A FOOD DESERT WITHFOOD INSECURITY... THERE ARECHILDREN... THERE AREELDERLY PEOPLE... THERE AREPEOPLE LIKE DONYETTATHROWER.

THERE ARE ALSOPEOPLE LIKE KATIE PLOHOCKYAND FELECIA FROE - GOINGABOVE AND BEYOND TO PUT FOODON TABLES.

BUT IN RURALOKLAHOMA, PEOPLE LIKE SUSANBOYD SEE A MORE DIRESITUATION.

AND IT'S ANISSUE THAT'S NOT GOING AWAYANY TIME SOON." This is like the bestthing ever!" DONYETTATHROWER LIVES IN WESTTULSA..

AND WAITS IN LINE ATTHE GROCERY STORE EVERYMONDAY." I have a heart condition,and I have to have freshfood all the time."SUPPLYING HER WITH THEPRODUCE SHE NEEDS."I got bananas, kiwi,oranges, onions, potatoes."HER FAVORITE THING AT THESTORE?" He even makes his ownchicken salad.

Who doesthat?

It's great chickensalad, too." BUT THISGROCERY STORE IS ON WHEELS..BECAUSE DONYETTA LIVES IN AFOOD DESERT IN WEST TULSA..ONE OF THE MANY AREAS IN THECITY WHERE GROCERY STORESARE FAR AND FEW BETWEEN" I used to have to go tothe farmer's market way outsomewhere on a bus .

.

.

Butwe don't have readily accessto the bus either."" If you're taking a bus,typically it's a four-hourround-trip to go groceryshopping and you can onlytake what you can carry."THAT'S WHY KATIE PLOHOCKY --EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THEHEALTHY COMMUNITY FOOD STOREINITITATIVE AND R&G FAMILYGROCERS - REVVED UP THEENGINE FOR THE MOBILEGROCERY STORE.1:44:37-43 " Food desertsdidn't just happen.

It'sbeen decades ofdisinvestment in ourcommunities."" Back in the 50s and 60s,we started seeing suburbanflight.

The big box storesstarted coming in andlocating on the externalparts of town.

The wholesaledistributors started buyingeach other up, so theybecame a giantconglomerate." PLOHOCKY SAYSMOM AND POP GROCERY STORESCAN'T AFFORD TO COMPETE WITHTHAT, SO THEY'VE JUST SHUTDOWN... AND THE RESULTS ARESTAGGERING." Folks that live in fooddeserts, specifically NorthTulsa, live 12 years lessthan someone living in SouthTulsa.

That's becausethere's little access tofresh andhealthful foods."1:47-2:04 " We so oftenthink of health as medicineand going to the doctor, butour first line of health isour bodies.

Our firstdefense to disease is ourbodies." DR. FELECIA FROEIS WITH ECOALLIANCE GROUP -THE ORGANIZATION THAT WILLOPERATE THE NEW OASIS FRESHMARKET IN NORTH TULSA --WHICHBROKE GROUND IN JULY.Brussel sprouts2:09:29 Strawberries" If you do not have thosethings, you are much morelikely to have chronicconditions caused byinflammation in your body,caused by not having theproper nutrition."" I didn't ever have accessto a grocery store.

I wasn'teating properly.

My healthwas deteriorating.

I needthe things that's on thistruck." FROE SAYS THE NEWNORTH TULSA STORE WILL BESMALL..

BUT WILL HAVE MORETHAN ENOUGH OPTIONS FORFRESH FOOD..

AND ANOTHERKEY COMPONENT - EDUCATION" We are planning to havedieticians in our grocerystores.

We are planning tohave all of our staffactually educated onnutrition." HELPING TO GUIDEFAMILIES IN THE RIGHTDIRECTION.." If our children aren'tgetting healthy food inthese communities, it'sharder for them to learn.When you're hungry, itaffects behavioral problems,it affects mood." ESPECIALLYKIDS IN RURAL AREAS..

WITHEVEN LESS ACCESS TO FRESH,HEALTHY FOODS IN GROCERYSTORES.

ACCORDING TO THEUSDA, 84% of the countieswith the highest percentageof children at risk for foodinsecurity are rural26:35 " The only thingthere is is the dollarstore.

That's all we have."SUSAN BOYD IS THE EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF THE AFTONHOUSING AUTHORITY IN AFTON,OKLAHOMA." They don't have a lotthere, and that's it." THEREARE TWO CONVENIENCE STORESIN AFTON, BUT THE AMOUNT OFFOOD INSIDE HARDLY QUALIFIESTHEM AS GROCERY STORES..THAT'S WHY BOYDSHE KEEPS A STOCK IN THESMALL HOUSING AUTHORITYCOMMUNITYBUILDING..

WITH THE HELP OFDONATIONS FROM CHURCHES ANDFOOD BANKS." They know I always havefood here because you may beat the end of the month andbe short on things." CANNEDGOODS, NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS,PRODUCE, AND THE BIGGESTTREASURE OF THEM ALL -CHOCOLATE MILK." Oh, let me tell you.

Ihave always had milk, butwhen I gave them that thefirst day, I had kids thatcried .

.

.

These kids arealways used to gettingseconds; they never get thebest thing." SO, HOW DO WEMAKE SURE THESE KIDS DOGET THE BEST THING?" Hopefully, there will be alot of people helpingpeople.

That's my greatestthing." PEOPLE HELPING TOBRIDGE THE GAP..

LIKE THESMALL GROCERY STORE IN NORTHTULSA - PAID FOR USINGPRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS,GOVERNMENT FUNDS THAT AREAVAILABLE THAT HAVE NOT BEENUSED IN THAT AREA, ANDCUTTING COSTS BY USING LOCALGROWERS" I'm very excited for them.But that's not the onlysolution.

That store isgoing to support about amile to a mile and a halfradius.

Luckily, they are onthe BRT, so they will beable to get that bustransportation.

It's stillleaves folks that live innorthwest Tulsa withoutgroceries, northeast Tulsawithout groceries, WestTulsa, portions of EastTulsa.

It's a start, but westill need to do a betterjob of putting more storesin." SO THAT PEOPLE LIKEDONYETTA THROWER....So, there was no chickensalad?: No.

They're actually soldout.

Bummer.But you got some other goodstuff.I do.

I got fish.

I gotcoffee.

I got chicken potpies.

.

DON'T HAVE TO GETTHEIR FAVORITE CHICKEN SALADOUT OF A TRUCK." We love, love, love ourlittle grocery store ."FOR MORE INFORMATION ONRESOURCES THAT AREAVAILABLE, GOTO OUR WEBSITE KJRH.COM SOWE CAN BECOME "OKLAHOMATOGETHER"..

TRAVISGUILLORY, 2 WORKS FOR YOU.