Performing Department
Nutrition Center of Maine
Non Technical Summary
Local Food for Lewiston will bring together stakeholders and partners representing multiple sectors of our food system to conduct a community food assessment Lewiston, Maine. Our goal is to cultivate a greater understanding of our food security needs, and to catalyze a community-based, comprehensive approach to strengthening our local food system. The need to be addressed in this community is two fold: 1) we need to understand the depth and breadth of food security needs in these communities and 2) we need to build from existing community food work to plan a strategic, systemic and sustainable process to strengthen our local food system. 1) There has not been any significant profile of household food security, community food resources, or food accessibility, availability and affordability. Many questions remain unanswered. Where are stores located relative to where people live What foods are available or not available What transportation is available and where What food assistance programs are available Is local produce available to low-income consumers. Having a detailed picture of our community will serve as a key tool for raising awareness and engaging community members and civic leaders in creating and implementing solutions. A food assessment is especially needed now because of the demographic changes Lewiston has undergone. It is essential to document the changes, understand the needs and opportunities specific to our growing refugee population, and develop a diverse, responsive, and culturally appropriate approach to household and community-wide food security. 2) Currently, there are several organizations and individuals working independently to address food systems through their issue area. However, these efforts are not coordinated, nor are they informed by a clear profile of our community needs and resources. Existing local efforts also often fail to address root causes, are limited in scope, or do not connect food and nutrition issues to greater food and agriculture systems. They also rarely involve low-income and other residents affected by food insecurity. This assessment will determine four major elements of food insecurity in Lewiston: 1) the level of household food insecurity, 2) community food resources and assets, 3) barriers to food access, and 4) the socio-economic and demographic profile of Lewiston. The project will focus on the needs and assets in the poorest areas of Lewiston that are home to those most vulnerable to food insecurity, including Somali immigrants who have recently come to Lewiston. The project involves area residents, four local colleges, eight local partners and two statewide agencies. It will involve community members in meaningful roles in planning and conducting the assessment. The outcomes of the assessment will help us meet the food needs of low-income people, plan for long-term solutions, promote comprehensive responses and create linkages between the public, for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Goal: Conduct a community food assessment in Lewiston by December 2009*. This work will involve four local colleges, eight local partners and two statewide agencies, and low-income residents in planning and conducting a comprehensive Community Food Assessment in Lewiston. This assessment will determine four major elements of food insecurity in Lewiston: 1) the level of household food insecurity, 2) community food resources and assets, 3) barriers to food access, and 4) the socio-economic and demographic profile of Lewiston. Objectives (Milestones): A. By early November 2008, expand the assessment planning group beyond initial partner organizations to create a coalition that includes at least eight community organizations, four academic partners, and residents representing communities of low-income and key demographic groups. This group will finalize the design and action plan for the assessment. The group will provide support and oversight throughout the assessment process, using a governance structure that allows each member to play an equal role in planning, decision-making, and action. B. By early December 2008, finalize the instrument design and methodology. Review and organize data collected from July-October 2008. The process will be lead by Dr. Dharod. C. From July 2008-August 2009, collect data for the four assessment components (Table 2), using secondary and primary sources including surveys, interviews and focus groups. Community volunteers and local college classes will collect data under the guidance of Dr. Dharod. D. By mid-November 2009, complete data analysis. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to map the food resource data, determine the spatial distribution of people whose demographic profile and survey responses suggest that they may be at risk to experience food insecurity, and identify underserved areas of the city. E. By early December 2009, compile results of the assessment into a complete report that draws connections between the results of the four components. The report will be interactive, easy to understand, and serve as a tool for raising awareness and initiating a community planning process. Publicize results through a press conference, meetings with key organizations and community groups, and through GIS-generated maps on key partner websites. F. In mid-December 2009, form a food planning association involving existing assessment planning team and new members representing low-income, refugee and youth residents, community organizations, local farmers and civic leaders. The food planning association will lead future community planning process to strengthen our local food system based upon the assessment results with the long-term goal of establishing a sanctioned Food Policy Council (outside the grant period). * The dates included are those in our original proposal. These will be modified to reflect the delayed start on the project as a result of the funding timeline.
Project Methods
Our approach combines the capacity of our academic partners with Lots to Gardens' community-based approach, well-established community relationships and history of involving "beneficiaries" in planning, implementation, and evaluation. The assessment will be coordinated by a steering committee that has met regularly since October 2006. Our first objective will be to expand the coalition to directly involve low-income residents and community partners in planning and conducting the assessment. We will use the Community Food Security Coalition and USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit's recommended methodology to design the assessment to answer: 1. To what extent is household food insecurity a problem in Lewiston and who is at high risk 2. What are the specific barriers to accessing healthy food resources in Lewiston How many people who may be at risk for food insecurity live in locations that have limited access to: - public transportation or pedestrian access to food stores - emergency food distribution sites and healthy food sources 3. To what extent is household food insecurity in Lewiston determined by community food resources; accessibility, availability and affordability of healthy foods; and/or socio-economic, demographic and geographic characteristics 4. What resources and community factors are assets in strengthening our food system The assessment workgroup will oversee design and implementation. We will provide stipends to several students and community members as leaders in outreach, coordination, and facilitation. We will conduct a phone survey using the USDA Household Food Security Measure, modified to include questions about perceived barriers and resources, and coping actions. Partners in Ending Hunger will provide training and technical assistance for this component, based on their experience conducting four other Household Food Security assessments in Maine. We will use focus groups and interviews to collect qualitative data and local perspectives on root causes, barriers to community food resources, coping strategies, and possible solutions. Facilitators will come from Lots to Gardens and project partners including United Somali Women, SOCHS cultural brokers, and Healthy Androscoggin. We will conduct bivariate analyses to compare the price and quality of healthy food items between food stores by type (chain grocery vs. convenience store) and location. In addition, multiple regression analyses will be conducted to estimate environmental risk factors for food insecurity. We will compile the quantitative data from the USDA food security survey, and food store survey using SPSS 15.0 software. As appropriate, the variable will be coded and re-coded into ordinal/categorical/integral variable. Analysis will be used to test the link between community food resources, barriers to access, and individual level food insecurity. We will organize our data into reports using tables, graphs and GIS-generated maps. GIS mapping not only provides an innovative method for analyzing the multiple factors that affect food insecurity and food systems, but is also an effective tool for outreach and advocacy.