NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Nashville’s Mayor Freddie O’Connell is teaming up with WeGo Public Transit and the Nashville Farmers’ Market to boost entry to reasonably priced, contemporary, and wholesome meals throughout Nashville neighborhoods with a objective to enhance residents’ high quality of life and tackle affordability points.
Greater than 40,000 Davidson County residents presently reside in meals deserts, areas the place wholesome grocery choices are scarce. Native service suppliers, together with Metro Departments like Metro Social Providers, non-profits, city farmers, and neighborhood grocers, have been working to bridge this hole, nourishing many households, seniors, and weak residents.
“Entry to contemporary, reasonably priced, and nutritious meals is a basic necessity,” stated Mayor O’Connell. “We need to faucet into the experience of our group leaders, grocery operators, meals advocates, builders, farmers, and residents to make significant progress on affordability and primary well being.”
He added, “If in case you have information to share, I invite you to succeed in out and assist us unfold the phrase. Your insights will information our subsequent steps, inform future partnerships, and in the end assist form a Nashville the place starvation does not know a zipper code.”
Nashville’s common inhabitants progress of roughly 2% yearly and rising dwelling prices over the previous decade have worsened meals entry challenges, creating an unequal panorama of meals deserts.
A Request for Data (RFI) can be launched to the general public within the coming weeks, an open invitation for concepts, not a proper proposal request. The Mayor’s Workplace goals to be taught from residents, group companions, and trade consultants to know what works, what doesn’t, and discover new approaches to enhance meals entry in each neighborhood.
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