Service-Learning, Community Mapping, and Food Access

With Extension offices in each of Maryland's 23 counties, the University of Maryland Extension System is dedicated to providing science-based education and community outreach through programs including the Feed Our Future Initiative and the UME-BC 4-H Teen Corps Program.

UME-BC offers a variety of resources & outreach programs, which have already impacted over 4,000 community members over a 3-year span:

• agricultural production
• nutritional programs
• environmental education
• financial education
• youth development

The Feed Our Future Initiative holistically addresses healthy food priority areas (also known as food deserts) in underserved communities in Baltimore.

UME-BC staff & faculty work collaboratively with community stakeholders, as well as adult and youth volunteers, to accomplish specific goals relating to food insecurity.

The 4-H Teen Corps Leadership Program is a citywide collaborative between 4-H youth and adult leaders who partner to strengthen communities and increase leadership opportunities for youth ages 12 to 18.

Formerly known as food deserts

A Healthy Food Priority Area (highlighted in yellow on the map) describes an area within Baltimore City where residents lack dependable access to fresh, affordable groceries.

Residents who meet the following criteria are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.

• Limited or no access to a vehicle
• Income below poverty level
• No supermarket within 15 min walk

Because the convenience stores in Healthy Food Priority Areas are known to offer processed foods with high sugar & fat content, living in a HFPA can lead to higher incidence rates of Diabetes and obesity.

Healthy Food Priority Areas were cooperatively identified by John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and the City of Baltimore Department of Planning.

Distance to the nearest supermarket is over ¼ mile (about 15 min walk.) Any household which is NOT within a quarter mile radius from a supermarket meets this initial criteria.

Over 30% of households do not have access to a vehicle. Neighborhoods in dark green have the highest proportion of residents with no access to a vehicle.

Median Household Income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Neighborhoods in dark blue have the highest proportion of residents whose household income is below the poverty level.

The average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) for all food stores is in the lowest tier, with a score under 9.5. HFAI scores reflect the quantity and variety of staple food groups and healthy options in a food store. The maximum score is 28.5.

Within Baltimore City, there are...

• 47 supermarkets (Avg. HFAI = 27.7)
• 525 small grocery & corner stores (Avg. HFAI = 9.1)
• 183 convenience stores (Avg. HFAI = 9.3)
• 6 public markets (Avg. HFAI = 14.0)

HFAI awards points based upon the presence and variety of fresh and healthy grocery options. Food stores which offer WIC or SNAP benefits receive higher scores.

A community with a high concentration of convenience markets and a lack of supermarket options, such as District 9, is likely to have a low overall HFAI score.

District 9 contains over 140 "food stores" - including convenience marts, small grocers, and discount stores - but only one supermarket.

With only one supermarket option within the district, many residents struggle to access fresh grocery products (such as produce, dairy, deli, and bakery items). Pursuant to this fact, the following known challenges and inequalities have been identified in District 9:

• The proportion of residents living in a Healthy Food Priority in District 9 is higher than any other district (56%, compared to 23.5% citywide)
• Over 58% of the residents in District 9 HFPA's are Black - compared to 40% white.
• Seniors are the most likely age group to live in Priority Areas.

HFPA-related demographic inequities identified by the Baltimore City Planning Department Food Environment Brief (2018). Demographic Summary & Indicators sourced at the tract level from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 ACS 5-year estimates.

Youth Development leaders at UME-BC elected to begin the 4-H Teen Corps Community Mapping Program in early 2021.

The 4-H Teen Corps met virtually between the months of March and June, with the goal of learning a new digital mapmaking technology known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Our objective was that participants of all ages would gain a basic understanding of GIS technology and critical analysis skills, specifically relating to healthy food access in Baltimore.

Through interactive hands-on classes, virtual tutorials, and extracurricular assignments, class participants also gained the following skills:

• How to create interactive maps with ArcGIS Online
• Where to find geospatial data and how to use it
• How to analyze multiple datasets in combination with one another
• How to make data-informed decisions that promote a healthy community

STEP At the most basic level, we wanted to understand the existing locations of HFPA zones, as well as the concentration of different types of food stores within District 9. We took note of which neighborhoods are susceptible to food insecurity based upon these factors alone, but we also wanted to understand other factors which impact food access in the community.

After researching additional factors which impact food security in District 9, we gathered demographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau at the census tract level (a tract is usually a bit smaller than a neighborhood.)

Click on a button below to activate a demographic map layer.

 % of seniors 65+ below poverty level 

 % of youth (< 18) below poverty level 

 % of households receiving SNAP benefits 

 Ratio of white to non-white residents 

Next, we added community asset layers - identifying key local infrastructure and public facilities where members of the community gather for various social activities.

• Finally, we identified the current UME Programs and Feed Our Future sites in Baltimore City, which are often clustered in key areas within communities. (Site categories including 4-H, SNAP-Ed, EFNEP, Master Gardener, Urban Ag, Financial Education, and Sea Grant are identified.)

After researching the issues and analyzing community data, our 4-H participants discussed potential actionable solutions and opportunities for service-learning District 9. By definition, Service-Learning integrates meaningful community service with facilitation and reflection to enrich the learning experience, develop citizenship, and meet the needs of the community.

Before proceeding with plans for community involvement, we identified that a necessary component of Service-Learning is to involve the community members & leaders within the District 9. These may include...

• Elected officials
• Neighborhood organizations / homeowners associations
• Volunteer organizations or clubs
• Youth organizations / after-school programs / recreation centers
• Religious or social activism groups
• Veteran groups or elderly communities

We conducted a survey among Teen Corps members and agreed that most valuable first step would be to request a meeting with City Councilman John Bullock.

During our discussion blocks, 4-H participants also offered the following ideas for further community engagement.

• Seek financial support from religious institutions, philanthropy groups, etc.
• Social media outreach & awareness
• Volunteer for a clean-up at Our Community Garden
• Mobile nutrition / delivery program
• Interview youth & teenagers about their opinions regarding food access (where they currently buy food and how they would like to see change)

There are a wide variety of reasons that a food store may lack healthy or affordable food options. It is crucial that we understand these reasons, and voice our need for an expanded nutritional selection - especially when many Baltimore City residents rely on non-supermarket food stores for day-to-day grocery needs.

We created a 1/4 mile buffer zone around Our Community Garden - a UME Master Gardener Site in the heart of District 9.

Our database of food stores returned about 12 options within the 1/4 mile buffer zone (about a 15 min walk.)

We created a field work plan accordingly.

Unfortunately, we found that 7 out of the 12 food stores we visited were vacant or abandoned. Of the remaining 5 food stores, only 3 of the stores sold grocery items as opposed to carryout foods only.

Of the three active grocery stores we surveyed, the owners shared that low demand plays a key role in their ability to stock fresh grocery items. Store owners expressed a struggle keep fruits and vegetables fresh and safe from pests before they expire. In fact, Lee's Food Market keeps food surplus in check by donating food to the community on the last Saturday of each month.

In July of 2021, UME-Baltimore City extension leaders were thrilled to host Dean Beyrouty and Associate Dean Jim Hanson (College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, UMD College Park) for a tour of urban agriculture through the Feed Our Future Initiative in Baltimore.