FAITH Food is Medicine garners $500K grant in Gary to support healthy food by prescription - Chicago Tribune

The Rev. Curtis Whitaker of Progressing Community Church International is connected a mission.

The Gary pastor wants to make an oasis of integrated locally grown nutrient successful the bosom of the metropolis to alteration it from a nutrient godforsaken to a spot wherever residents tin find the nutritious foods they request without traveling to different community.

For 9 years Whitaker has been moving toward that extremity done FAITH Farms and Orchards astatine 656 Carolina St., crossed the thoroughfare from the abandoned Emerson School building. What began with a fewer plants 7 years is simply a increasing workplace which present includes chickens, goats and bees.

Pastor Curtis Whitaker, of FAITH Farms & Orchard speaks during a property league to item a assistance to commencement the FAITH Food is Medicine programme connected Monday, October 17, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Monday section dignitaries, infirmary officials, and professors from Indiana University Northwest and Bloomington gathered astatine the tract to observe a $500,000 assistance from the USDA to instrumentality the farm’s newest program, FAITH Food is Medicine. The programme is simply a concern including the farm, Methodist Hospitals and university. Whitaker said helium learned Friday the Indiana Department of Health awarded an $89,000 assistance for the FAITH Food is Medicine program.

Whitaker said the assistance provides backing for 75 participants. Those who privation to enactment indispensable get a medicine from their doc astatine Methodist Hospitals for steadfast food. The participants volition person a container a week of healthy, locally grown nutrient for a twelvemonth successful an effort to combat diseases communal successful the assemblage including precocious humor pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The extremity is to summation entree to caller nutrient successful the metropolis and summation depletion of that nutrient by residents, Whitaker said.

Dr. Winifred Oniah, with Methodist Hospital, speaks during a property league to item a assistance to commencement the FAITH Food is Medicine programme connected Monday, October 17, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

The backing volition besides person immoderate economical benefits for the community. Whitaker said helium volition beryllium capable to prosecute 3 oregon 4 employees to enactment astatine the farm, which presently is unpaid supported. The median income successful the vicinity wherever the workplace is located is astir $13,000. Whitaker said the part-time positions volition wage $20,000 a twelvemonth portion a full-time presumption volition wage $40,000.

The assistance besides volition assistance rise up different municipality farmers successful the metropolis limits. There are much than 30 municipality farms successful the metropolis increasing produce.

“The assistance allows america to acquisition nutrient from Black farmers successful Gary,” Whitaker said. Francine Birgans, who was a volunteer, has been tapped arsenic the manager of the Food is Medicine program.

Lake County Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-Gary, said not each radical are fortunate capable to beryllium capable to question to different assemblage wherever retailers privation to beryllium to bargain nutrient they can’t find successful their ain neighborhoods.

Indiana University Northwest prof Ellen Szarleta speaks during a property league to item a assistance to commencement the FAITH Food is Medicine programme connected Monday, October 17, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

“Food is thing successful the state of the U.S. we instrumentality for granted,” Allen said, adding helium supports Whitaker’s efforts.

“We conscionable judge successful him. We judge successful what he’s doing. We judge successful this investment,” Allen said.

The USDA assistance is the 2nd large assistance announced by Faith CDC successful the past 30 days. The endeavor received a $425,000 assistance from the Feeding successful America Food Security Equity Fund, administered by The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to physique a flash freezing installation to seizure the other caller nutrient grown astatine the farm. The Lake County Council Oct. 11 moved to supply $400,000 successful American Rescue Plan Act funds for the flash freezing project. County commissioners are expected to o.k. the expenditure Wednesday.

Pastor Curtis Whitaker, of FAITH Farms & Orchard, holds a sheet of caller vegetables grown astatine the organization's farm, during a property league to item a assistance to commencement the FAITH Food is Medicine programme connected Monday, October 17, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

Matt Doyle, president and CEO of Methodist Hospitals, said arsenic wellness attraction evolves, hospitals are getting extracurricular of their 4 walls and into the assemblage to assistance amended people’s health. He said the FAITH Food is Medicine programme is simply a launchpad and volition beryllium an illustration to each communities of tin hap with these types of partnerships.

“It’s entree to this benignant of nutrient and caller nutrient we cognize leads to amended health,” Doyle said.

Frieda Graves, workplace administrator, said this twelvemonth the workplace grew astir 14,000 pounds of nutrient which was distributed done monthly assemblage supported agriculture boxes, farmers marketplace income and to those successful need. Graves said astir 1,000 radical purchased oregon received nutrient from the farm.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com