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An Institution of Respect and Equality
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Health and Wellness

Healthy Food

Healthy minds and bodies strengthen our community.

Healthy Food

Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is the cornerstone of a healthy, self-sustaining community. However, COVID- 19 has reaffirmed the existing truth that the current Central Brooklyn food system leaves the most vulnerable populations, specifically Black, Latinx, immigrant and low-income communities, without such essential resources. 

Since 2014, Restoration’s Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (CHN) has worked to address food inequality by cultivating strategic partnerships and policies to facilitate access to fresh, healthy produce. Since its launch, CHN has provided over 50,000 Central Brooklyn residents annually with locally sourced food.

Since its launch, CHN has achieved the following results:

  • Over 7,000 healthy meals delivered

  • 50 institutions partnered with to deliver those meals

  • 8 farmer's markets incubated throughout Central Brooklyn

Farm to Institution

We work with values-aligned sourcing partners to provide nutritious alternatives to senior centers and Head Start school programs in Central Brooklyn, integrating fresh produce into the daily meals of thousands of residents.

 

We work with senior and early care centers across Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, and Central Brooklyn to provide:

1. On-Site Local Food Access by making connections needed to bring a farm share on site for their community and/or to make an official switch to local food procurement.

2. Local Food Education, providing sites the opportunity to host food demos, cooking classes, and cooking workshops to be attended by staff, participants, and the community at large.

3. Connection to Local Production to expose the participants at the accepted sites to their local community gardens and farmers markets in their neighborhoods through regular visits.

If you’re interested in participating in this program, contact Junior Duplessis at jduplessis@restorationplaza.og to learn more.

Our current provider partners include:

Kids viewing garden_photo credit Mark Luinenburg

Central Brooklyn Food Hub:

Restoration recently released the Central Brooklyn Feasibility Study which outlines recommendations from the Central Brooklyn Food Hub that support current community needs and ongoing food justice efforts.

The Food Hub recommends addressing inequities within the food system of Central Brooklyn by following a “hub and spoke” model, in which the Food Hub will serve as a community anchor and vehicle for increasing food access throughout the community. The model involves a commitment to deep community engagement, supportive economic development, and increased community involvement in policy initiatives. 

If you’re interested in participating or learning more about the Central Brooklyn Food Hub, contact Alexis Harrison at aharrison@restorationplaza.org.

Central Brooklyn Feasibility Study

Restoration’s Center for Healthy Neighborhoods convened over 100 partners to formalize a collective vision for the Central Brooklyn food system, submitting the feasibility study for a Central Brooklyn Food Hub to Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Department in Fall 2019.

View Report