Project Abstract
The author of this proposal is seeking a grant of $94,735 for supporting the community project that is oriented toward addressing the needs of disadvantaged or low-income children and adolescents living and studying in Macomb County, Michigan. The purpose of the project is to organize the work of a community mobile food truck that will be used to serve free hot and highly nutritional meals for children who suffer from food insecurity in the community. Every child in Michigan needs to be provided with opportunities for receiving adequate nutrition in spite of the financial and social status of his or her family.
Background and Problem Statement
Nowadays, hunger in the communities of Michigan is an urgent problem that requires its solution in spite of all the efforts made by the authorities in order to address the issue, especially with a focus on resolving the case for children and adolescents. The problem is that one in seven children in Michigan suffers from hunger on a regular basis, resulting in negative effects on health and well-being. According to the state statistics, “in Michigan, 1,359,650 people are struggling with hunger – and of them 318,960 are children” (Feeding America, 2020, para. 2). The causes of hunger, as well as food insecurity in general, usually include poverty, social barriers experienced by a family, and single households (Feeding America, 2020; “Food access in Michigan,” 2018; Murthy, 2016). In many cases, low-income families cannot provide their children with not only adequate nutrition but also necessary living conditions and medical services.
The authorities of Michigan have implemented a range of programs in order to cover the nutrition needs of disadvantaged children in the state and provide free or cheap meals in schools. However, the problem is also that, during summer, children often have no access to free food services to address their needs. When evaluating the program eligibility for food insecure and disadvantaged children in Michigan, it is important to note that more than 30% of them are ineligible for nutritional programs to receive free access to food services. Still, more than 65% are income-eligible to participate in such nutritional programs (“Map the meal gap: Child food insecurity in Michigan,” 2020). However, these initiatives cannot effectively address the needs of all food insecure children in the state (Borders et al., 2018). According to Healthy People 2020, one of the major goals is to reduce low food security among children and decrease the percentage of households that face this problem (“Food insecurity – Household in Michigan,” 2020). Therefore, it is necessary to develop and implement a project oriented toward serving food for low-income children in Macomb County, Michigan, to cover their nutrition needs.
Project Description
A community mobile food truck will be efficiently equipped to serve disadvantaged or low-income children’s needs in Macomb County, Michigan. No meals will be cooked in the truck, but it will be used for serving prepared hot meals to low-income children for free, when being placed in the local park area. The truck will have two large windows and the awning over the windows. Near the truck, there will be placed five tables and 20 chairs for children to eat their meals comfortably.
During a 2-hour period, the truck personnel will serve the meals for children and guarantee that all the food is hot and enough to cover the audience’s needs. Meals will be served for free to children and teenagers who are aged 5-17 years old. Those people who are aged over than 17 years will be able to purchase a portion for $5. Served meals will include fresh and cooked vegetables, chicken, beef, fish, and fruits. Non-allergic products will be used, and the information on potential allergens will be provided. The served food and beverages will be purchased at organizations that participate in the state and local food security programs or have licenses as providing food services for schools. The prepared food (ready-to-eat) will be stored in refrigerators, steam tables, and hot food warming boxes before being served to clients. The food will be reheated if necessary according to the state standards using microwave ovens. All the safety and quality standards will be followed.
Project Goals and Objectives
The project is aimed at guaranteeing that the majority of disadvantaged children and teenagers in the community do not suffer from hunger because of receiving accessible food services. It is important to create a range of opportunities for children to access food services when their families cannot provide adequate nutrition (Borders et al., 2018; “Food access in Michigan,” 2018). The primary goal of the project is to address the food insecurity issue in Macomb County, Michigan, and cover the food needs of low-income children on a daily basis. The following objectives are set to achieve this goal:
- The percentage of food insecurity in relation to children aged 5-17 years will decrease by 20% in Macomb County, Michigan, in 6 months after starting the project realization.
- The percentage of children who regularly receive necessary meals will increase by 20% in the community in 6 months after starting the project realization.
Outcomes and Measures of Effectiveness
The first main outcome of the project realization will be the decrease of the percentage of food insecurity in relation to children aged 5-17 years old and living in Macomb County, Michigan, by 20%. This result is expected to be observed in 6 months after starting the project because of providing the target audience of low-income children with access to fresh and highly nutritional foods. The second outcome of the project will be the increase of the percentage of children who regularly receive required meals by 20% in 6 months after starting the project realization. From this perspective, the project will be discussed as effective when the set two objectives are completed. The proposed project will add value to the realization of the state’s initiatives that are oriented toward addressing food insecurity among children and adolescents.
Key Partners
The key partners of the project include All Colors of the Rainbow (Mount Clemens, Michigan), non-profit food organizations operating in Michigan, and volunteering and charity organizations. The focus of these partnerships is to inform the community about the project and its benefits for low-income children and adolescents who may suffer from inappropriate nutrition and even hunger. The goal of partnerships is to receive required assistance for the project development and realization, relying on financial resources, donations, and the help of volunteers.
Budget
Contact Person
Executive Summary
This project seeks to address the hunger issues among children in Michigan, which are caused in large part by poverty, socioeconomic barriers, and single-parent households. To that end, the author requests a $94,735 grant from the government for an intervention that will attempt to alleviate the problem in Macomb County. It will do so through the purchase and operation of a food truck that will visit disadvantaged communities and serve children aged 5-17 healthy meals free of charge. Initially, it is intended to operate for a year and achieve a 20% reduction in food insecurity among the community’s adolescents within 6 months.
References
Borders, S., Ferris, B., Beeby, M. J., & McCahill, P. (2018). West Michigan food insecurity: Using cluster analysis and geographic information systems to identify needs. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 12(2), 187-197.
Feeding America. (2020). Hunger in Michigan. Web.
Food access in Michigan. (2018). FAIMProject.org. Web.
Food insecurity – Household in Michigan. (2020). America’s Health Rankings. Web.
Map the meal gap: Child food insecurity in Michigan. (2020). FeedingAmerica.org. Web.
Murthy, V. H. (2016). Food insecurity: A public health issue. Public Health Reports (1974-), 131(5), 655-657.