This document outlines a regional approach to improving healthy food access in underserved communities in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, Florida. It demonstrates the benefits of a regional collaboration, highlights the role of community-based participatory research in developing solutions, and defines food deserts. Key elements included interviewing stakeholders, holding focus groups, participatory photo projects, and surveys to engage residents. The results informed action plans through a cross-county steering committee to increase access to healthy and affordable food.
2. Demonstrate the benefit of a regional approach to
increasing healthy food access
Highlight the role of Community Based Participatory
Research in developing solutions to healthy food access
Objectives
Define food deserts
3. USDA – Designated Food Desert Census Tracts in Manatee and Sarasota Counties
Low Income and Low
Access at 1 and 10 miles
4. Percent of adults who live within ½ mile of a
healthy food retailer
25% 27%
Manatee Sarasota
5. Percent of adults who eat at least 5 servings of
fruits and vegetables per day
17% 18%
Manatee Sarasota
6. Percent of adults who are overweight or obese
62% 58%
Manatee Sarasota
7. Develop high-
impact solutionsShare best
practices
Maximize
resources
Reduce
duplication
Benefits of
Regional
Approach
Maximize limited
staff time
13. Cindy Sloan
Director, Food Bank of
Manatee
Lawrence
Livingston
Reverend, Eternity Temple
Church
KeyInformantInterviews
Examples from Manatee County
Pat Stream
Principal, Samoset
Elementary School
Yvonne Daniels
Deputy, Manatee County
Sheriff’s Office
14. KeyInformantInterviews
Examples from Sarasota County
Lorna Alston
General Manager, North
Sarasota
Erin Bryce
Community Outreach
Coordinator, City of North Port
Victoria Brown
CEO, Dollar Dynasty, Inc
Jenna Jones
Director Of Nutrition Education
and Programs, All Faiths Food
Bank
23. SAM’s, is economical, but
bags of vegetables are too
large and I end up throwing
food away.
Photo-Voice
“I would like to find more
economic and smaller
packages of vegetables in
supermarkets closer to my
home.
Supermarkets, closer to my
home, sell smaller bags of
vegetables, but they are
higher priced.”
24. Photo-Voice
“I would like for the flea
market at Tuttle and
Ringling to have a larger
variety of fruits and
vegetables, as well as,
better quality like these
which I had to buy in the
Red Barn in Bradenton
which is much farther from
my home.”
25. Photo-Voice
“Look at that, that’s sad right there. That’s what my fridge and cabinet always
look like. I don’t have a car, so I gotta walk to the store. I would go to a
pantry, but I can’t get there. I do have a lot of peanut butter. People are
always giving me peanut butter. Sometimes I just eat it with a spoon for
dinner.”
30. Survey Methodology
Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)
Repurposed from
an emergency
response tool, to a
community
engagement tool
31. Choose census
tracts
Survey seven
randomly selected
homes
Complete 168-210
surveys
Randomly select
30 census blocks
Survey Methodology
Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)