Garden On The Go Brings Fresh Produce To Food Deserts

BY ARIEL SCHWARTZ

Obesity is undoubtedly a major problem in the U.S, but it's nearly impossible to stop in the nation's food deserts, which lack access to affordable, healthy food. The California Freshworks Fund announced recently that it is giving $200 million to food vendors (everything from grocery stores to food trucks) in the state's food deserts, but Indiana already has a potential solution on the ground in the form of Garden on the Go, a truck filled with local and regional fruits and vegetables that stops throughout the week in an area that lacks easy access to healthful food.

The truck, created through a partnership between Indiana University Health and Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, has been in operation since May. It stops at a dozen places in Marion County, including public housing and senior facilities, and customers can pay for their produce with food stamps. The mobile produce truck has, according to Garden on the Go, been wildly successful--it just hit its 5,000th customer.

Garden on the Go isn't the only mobile produce market cruising the country. New York City's Holton Farms Mobile Farm Truck brings its produce to CSA members throughout the city, and Maine's Mobile Farm Stand brings fresh fruit and vegetables to senior housing sites. So food desert denizens, take note: as of now, the produce truck may be the best obesity-fighting option around.

Eastern on the News!

This past Friday morning, Eastern students, athletes and faculty members gathered professor Charlie Chatterton in his Third Annual Poverty Awareness Marathon at Eastern. The marathon consisted of 22 laps around campus, which were 2.1 miles each. The goal of the marathon was to raise awareness of poverty and collect cans for the Covenant Soup Kitchen. The initial goal of the marathon was to collect 462 cans, which represents the 46.2 million people who currently live in poverty in the United States. That goal was far exceeded with the final number of non-perishable goods being a whopping 710! Thanks to everyone who came out or donated goods.

Check out the Courant's news videos below:

Video #1

Video #2

And you can find pictures from the marathon here !

Blood!

Did you know...

• One pint of blood can save up to three lives
• Every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion
• 5 million patients in the US need blood every year
• Less than 38% of the population is eligible to give blood
• Platelets, critical for cancer patients, have a shelf life of only 5 days
• Adults have about 10 pints of blood in their body and 1 pint is given during a donation
• Only 7% of people in the US have he universal blood donor type, O negative
• Donors can give blood every 56 days

To learn more about blood donation, click the red cross logo above.

If you would like to donate blood, the Red Cross is coming to Eastern for a Blood Drive on October 10th and 11th!

You can schedule an appointment online here or sign up on campus. Check back for dates & locations on campus where you can schedule an appointment in the next few weeks.

9/11 Candlelight Commemoration

On Sept. 11 at 9 p.m., more than 250 students and community members joined together in a solemn candlelight commemoration of the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. Holding candles in a large circle in front of the Foster Clock Tower, students heard retired Eastern Police Detective Louise Wright share her experiences as a first responder in New York City. Father Larry LaPointe of Campus Ministry and Kyle Droniak from the Campus Activity Board encouraged students to find ways to make a difference in their communities. Brit Cava from the Center for Community Engagement encouraged participants to add their handprint to a large banner that contained the hand prints of Windham schoolchildren as a commitment to supporting youth. Area resident Chris Savitski provided music, and members of the Willimantic Fire Department and Eastern Police Department also attended the ceremony.

How Rich are you Really?

Are you richer than you think?

Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world, wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out!

Click the picture below.

Favorite Quote

CureSearch: Walk for Children’s Cancer in Hartford

Cancer. The word is taunting and generally not surrounded with good feelings. However, the vibe was upbeat and positive at the CureSearch walk for Children’s Cancer this past Saturday. The event took place on the deck of the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Fall weather made its introduction at the event, leaving us with a cool wind on our backs and the sunshine on our faces. During the event, teams gathered and took at 30 minute walk along the Connecticut River. At the end of the event, the grand total raised was over $30,000. It was evident that everyone at this event was happily giving of themselves, including over a dozen volunteers from Eastern, a local DJ from Willimantic who donated his talents throughout the morning and hundreds of people who coordinated the event, donated money and donated their time to walk. Even children were eager to help. One little boy, who was volunteering, willingly told me the story of his 20-year old sister who had survived cancer, describing it to me as “the saddest day of his life” when he found out she had been diagnosed. Another boy told me that the event was “one of the best community service’s he had ever done.” The CureSearch walk helped raise thousands of dollars for children’s cancer research, but just as importantly, it brought hope to those who have been personally affected by the disease and allowed people of all ages to feel the positive impact that they can have on such an emotional topic.

Follow CureSearch on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/CureSearch

Follow CureSearch on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/curesearch

Or Go to the CureSearch Website: http://www.curesearch.org/