Chen, Johnson, Laios 1

4318 Knox Rd.

College Park, MD 20740

November 17th, 2018

Principal Miguel Cervantes del Toro

3701 Fernhill Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215

Dear Mr. Del Toro,

We are three students at the University of Maryland, our names are Kathy Chen, Ty
Johnson, and Nick Laios. Among us we have a Family Science major and a Landscape
Architecture major. We are writing you because we would like to propose a plan to reduce food
insecurity in your area. For our proposal, we decided to reach out to the schools in the Baltimore
City area. The reason we have chosen this area is because 11% of Marylanders have issues with
food insecurity and Baltimore city has an even higher rate than that of the state. (Feeding
America)
We propose a series of urban gardening workshops for the children and families of
Callaway Elementary. We will be in regular contact with you throughout the process. The
workshop will consist of a series of three garden nights where students and their parents will
be invited for tutorials teaching urban gardening. We will empower these families to grow
healthy food while bypassing price and distance constraints. The tutorials will be ultra-
streamlined and we will provide simple and concise instructions. We will have area residents
with prior urban gardening knowledge assisting with these garden nights. We will make sure
families know the proper techniques to grow both low calorie and nutrient dense vegetables as
well as higher carb and calorie crops like potatoes so that families are able to fill their stomachs
on what they grow. We will focus on teaching container gardening since urban families often
lack the space for a traditional garden. In addition to verbal instruction, families will receive
comprehensive guides to maintain and keep track of their gardens and will be directed towards
online resources. To incentivize attendance and participation, the first two workshop nights will
offer free meals made from urban grown ingredients. In the spirit of the delicious meal incentive
families will also receive the recipes of the meals they were provided and many more. The bulk
of the learning will occur during the first two workshops, but the third workshop will serve as an
opportunity to assess families progress with their gardens. Any difficulties, challenges, or
questions the families have acquired throughout their garden journey will be addressed on this
night so that families do not become discouraged if they run into complications. The final night
will be a celebration in which all the participating families and faculty contribute to a potluck
dinner consisting of dishes made from ingredients from the gardens. There will be a taste
competition for the best dish and the winner and four runner ups will receive a whole foods and
uber gift cards (for transport to the whole foods since they live in a food desert). The food and
prizes from this final night will also be incentive for participation.
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 2

We believe this is a matter that should be attended too. Our future generations are affected the
most. This is a troubling problem and will persist unless we do something about it. We would
like to set up a conference call or meeting with you whenever it is convenient for you. We want
to tackle this issue so we can make in impact as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Ty Johnson, Kathy Chen, Nick Liaos

Enclosure: Proposal Food is Insecure

 Chen, Johnson, Laios 3

Proposal: Food Is Insecure in Baltimore, Maryland

Nick Laios, Kathy Chen, and Ty Johnson

University of Maryland, College Park

Professor Anna Szczepaniec-Biaas

November 16, 2017

Table of Contents

Summary.5

Introduction: Defining the problem.5

 Chen, Johnson, Laios 4

Evaluating the consequences.6

Rooting out the causes...7

The Plan..8

Conclusion..9

Bibliography.10

Summary:

There is a epidemic in our country when it comes to food insecurity, we would like to
focus our attention to Baltimore, Maryland when discussing this subject. In Baltimore there are
thousands of individuals and families struggling with food insecurity. We want to implement a
plan that will help reduce the problem in Baltimore. Many children who are struggling with food
security often have trouble maintaining a great academic performance, have delays in their
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 5

health, and delays in their social development as well. There are many causes that are link to
contributing to food insecurity. Many individuals who are experiencing food insecurity often
face the consequences from a lack of food or better yet a lack of nutrition. Our plan will consist
of reaching out to a local school and start workshops for families. This will empower families to
eat fresh, clean, and better. At the end of the day we hope to have made a change in Baltimore,
Maryland and change the lives of the individuals residing in Baltimore. If successful, we will
branch out to make a difference in other communities throughout Baltimore and possible other
states as well.

Defining the problem:

There are many definitions for food insecurity. The Wunderlich and Norwoods
definition of food insecurity is: Whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe
foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or
uncertain. (nap.edu) In short, it is the state of not having easy and reliable access to affordable
and nutritious foods. USDA defines food security in four different levels: high food security,
marginal food security, low food security, and very low food security. High food security would
be described as there being no reported problems with food-access and all members of the
household have access to live a healthy lifestyle. Marginal food security would be indicated by
little report of anxiety regarding lack in food quantity. Next, low food security (food insecurity
without hunger) is described by reports of a decrease in variety and quality of diet, but without
much impact on food intake, meaning food is accessible but likely not of substantial or nutritious
quality. Finally, very low food security (food insecurity with hunger) is indicated by reports of
disrupted eating patterns and decrease in food intake.
Maryland has an overall food insecurity rate of 11.4%. However, areas within Maryland
with lower average incomes and higher crime rates often have higher food insecurity rates than
the state itself, as is seen in the Baltimore City food insecurity rate which totals to approximately
23.2%. (Department of Education) Those living in poverty having poor health and nutrition due
to their circumstances lead these individuals to buying food they can afford on their budget,
which oftentimes is lower in nutritional value or junk food which may be lower in cost, but
also costly to their health. (MDFoodBank)
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 6

Evaluating the Consequences:

There are many negative consequences that are caused from a lack of food security.
Often times, when there is a lack of food for a child there tends to be a correlation with health
disparities. Health issues such as increased hospitalizations, poor health, iron deficiency,
developmental risk and behavior problems, primarily aggression, anxiety, depression, and
attention deficit disorder (Cook & Frank, 2008; Whitaker, Phillips, & Orzol, 2006).
Food is a basic need that every individual needs to have access to to get obtain the
necessary nutrients to live and participate actively in society. There are many individuals in
Maryland which is currently estimated at over 682,000 people suffering from difficulties
associated with food insecurity; this statistic represents approximately one in nine Marylanders
who are unable to meet nutritional standards on a day to day basis. Food insecurity is often
assessed as a household-level concept, comprised of having uncertain, insufficient, or
unacceptable availability, access, or utilization of food. (nap.edu) Sometimes the only meal a
student will get throughout the day is their school lunch. This is especially common in high
poverty areas, like Baltimore. 88% of Baltimore City students were approved for the free or
reduced school lunch program, which is only available to students from low income families.
(Department of Education) This, as the name states, allows them to purchase a school lunch at a
highly reduced cost or to receive it for free. A school lunch is often times not fulfilling or
nutrient dense. They tend not to include any fresh fruit or vegetables. Lack of quality in food can
affect a students energy and focus, which could potentially hurt them academically.
There have been studies and observations made that food insufficiency and insecurity are
linked to poorer grades, more absences, anxiety, and lateness. (Jyoti) Many students skip
breakfast because lack of availability and that affects them throughout the entire day. In school
age minority youth, skipping breakfast is statistically more common than in other age groups and
can lead to negative impacts in academic achievement. (Basch) Their performance in school can
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 7

affect their futures tremendously, affecting many opportunities for them, such as colleges they
would be accepted into. The effect of anxiety and lateness could also affect how the students are
viewed in other peoples eyes. This could affect them socially and cause difficulty when trying to
make friends. It could also cause difficulty when participating in class, for the student could be
too anxious to speak up in class.
Food insecurity can also be linked to obesity, especially in young girls. (Jyoti) Lack of
properly nutritious foods can lead to consumption of empty calories which can cause weight
gain. This can affect a students physical fitness and energy throughout the day. Not only will
this affect health and fitness, this will make them less active for gym class. Having to do
strenuous activities in gym while on an empty stomach or without the proper nutrition would
have a higher strain on their bodies. Poor experiences in gym class at a young age could also
discourage them from pursuing sports when they get older.
This problem is an epidemic in Maryland. Many children are faced with the issue of
living in poverty and in Maryland, there are currently 250,000 children going hungry each day.
Families rely on federal food stamp programs, which face huge cuts from Congress according to
an editorial by two outstanding concerned chefs. (Raphel) Children are disproportionately
affected by food insecurity.
Food insecurity is particularly detrimental to children because their age range is
especially in need of quality nutrition. Nutrition during the time period known as the first 1000
days i.e. from pregnancy to the childs second birthday is critical. (Thurow. 31) Poor nutrition
during this period is known to strongly affect lifelong health. Whether or not you believe food
insecurity in adults is self-inflicted or due to societal abandonment, children are undeniably
innocent in their plight. Because Baltimores most blameless citizens are the most affected by
food insecurity, it is our moral duty to provide a solution to help the children.

Rooting out the Cause:

While there are some prominent root causes that contribute to this problem, we believe
that the main cause of food insecurity in Baltimore City is poverty; Baltimore City not only has
the highest food insecurity rate in the state, but it also has the highest poverty and unemployment
rates. The annual food budget shortfall for all of Maryland in 2015 was $370,097,000 and about
21% of that was just from the city of Baltimore. (Feeding America) This means that even though
there are soup kitchens and food programs to help those in need, there is not a high enough
budget to be able to afford to feed everyone that is food insecure. Baltimore County is also the
only real part of Maryland that has food deserts. A food desert in Baltimore City is an area
where: 1) The distance to a supermarket or supermarket alternative is more than mile, 2) The
median household income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, 3) Over 30% of
households have no vehicle available, and 4) The average Healthy Food Availability Index score
for all food stores is low. (Johns Hopkins)
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 8

Poverty rates are determined by the number of members in a household and their annual
income.In the 2014, American Community Survey discovered that about 23.6% of Baltimore
residents lived in poverty in 2014, including 32.6% of children between Pre-K and 12th Grade.
Also they had discovered that 11.8% of the 621,849 Baltimore population is unemployed. While
16% of the population doesn't have a high school diploma/ged. The income for a individual that
does not have a high school diploma or ged has an income of $19,526. The federal poverty line
for a family of four is $24,000.
This high level of poverty leads to a higher number of households that dont own, or
cannot afford, vehicles. In Baltimore City, 12% of homeowners and 43% of renters dont occupy
homes that have vehicles. (Alliance for the Poor) This affects food insecurity because it affects
access to food. Its more difficult to go grocery shopping when you dont have a vehicle,
especially when public transportation isnt always reliable. Not only would someone not be able
to afford to eat and buy nutritious foods on a consistent basis, but they wouldnt even have the
means to be able to get that food.
Often times, food insecurity is not something that people will think of a problem because
it does not affect them. However, this is a spreading problem, it doesnt take much for a family
to go from stable to food insecure. All it takes is one bad month. (Feeding America) Perhaps
someone in the household is laid off at work, or maybe someone has an accident that leads to
expensive medical bills. There are so many examples of things that could go wrong that could
lead to extra expenses and make a family have to choose between buying food or paying bills. It
is best to take extra precaution even if you think you are food secure. At the end of the day there
isnt any harm in picking up new skills, whether you want to put them to use or pass them on and
teach them to someone else. Anyone can benefit from learning the basics of gardening and
cooking.
The good consequences that come from this argument is that if children get the proper
nutrition they will have a increase in academic performance. Therefore will project these
children to atleast get a high school diploma or GED. Not having a high school diploma/GED is
one of the root causes of having food insecurity. Many other benefits of having food security
include positive mental health, positive development, and positive social health. There are plenty
of positives. With this proposal we will essentially show parents/children how to grow and feed
themselves. The will be self-sufficient and eat fresh, healthy, and home-grown foods like fruits
and vegetables. We hope to encourage parents/children to grow and harvest crops that will be
very beneficial in their nutritional diet.

The Plan:

Food insecurity has been a consist problem throughout the years in the U.S., there have
been multiple programs such as Food Stamp, WIC, and Reduced school meals to help fight
against food insecurity. Its only fair to continue the fight against food insecurity in our state. We
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 9

believe this is feasible because the size of our proposal is very microscopical since we are trying
to implement it at a local level first. We also believe that cost wont be too much of an issue as
we are looking to partner up with Duncan Street Miracle garden to help find nearby garden
space. The Duncan Street Miracle Garden is a city program that allows city residents to take
vacant lots and adapt them into community gardens. We also plan to partner up with a local soil
company to help provide soil for families to start their own urban garden. We also will be asking
local high school Key Clubs for volunteers as they are always looking for different opportunities
to help out in their community. Each of our group members can ask our respective high school
Key Clubs.
As for recipe creations and potential chef volunteers, one of our group members families
owns a restaurant in the Baltimore area and has contacts with several restaurants in the general
area. We can ask chefs from those restaurants to create recipes using mainly produce they grow
themselves. We also hope to get them teach how to cook them during the workshops. The recipes
would be designed to be fairly simple so as to be easily learned. Theyre designed not just to be
followed but also to be inspirational, allowing for everyone to develop the ability to come up
with recipes on their own. If they are unable to come then our group member who owns a
restaurant would be teaching the cooking portion of the workshops for those times.
The main time spent will be waiting to get a response from administrators and local
community gardens for volunteers and donations. After we get confirmation from these sources,
we will implement our proposal within the next few days. We believe we can get people to
participate in our program by using incentives such as a free dinner, a chance to win uber credit,
and whole foods gift cards. The trade offs of this proposal are very positive it will encourage
families to grow and harvest their own crops. Therefore reducing the levels of food insecurity
and giving themselves the proper nutrition they need. The way we can do this is get the word out
by sending a letter home with students to give to parents. Posting it on the school website, and
also posting it on the school's social media pages such as twitter and facebook. Reaching out to
administrators of Calloway elementary will be our first step in implementing this plan. This
hasnt been done before at a specific location. May programs are nationwide, although it still
provides success at reducing food insecurity. We have an advantage by sticking to a local area to
improve it rapidly.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the levels of food insecurity in Baltimore are very high. A root cause of
this is due to poverty and unemployment. We want to help this community thrive because
everyone deserves to have access to food and everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy
lifestyle. Our proposal is the first stepping stone in moving towards a more food secure
Baltimore City for everyone.
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 10

Evaluative Paper

In the city of Baltimore, the problem of food security persists and is home to seven food
deserts that fuel it. (Go To Atlas). Despites efforts to reign in on the problem, nearly a
quarter of the city of Baltimore was food insecure in 2016 (USDA). For context,
Baltimores food insecurity rate is nearly double the national average of 12%. (Feeding
America). Baltimores rate of food insecurity in comparison to the national average
reveals the problem as an epidemic. It shows us that the city is specifically cursed with
the problem and therefore is in need of a new solution.

It goes without saying that food insecurity leads to health problems. Likely diabetes and
heart disease are the health problems to come to mind when you think of food
insecurity, however, it is surprising and jarring just how many issues stem from it. Food
insecurity is linked to an overall decline in physical health, higher rates of type two
diabetes and less success in managing it, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, heart
disease, metabolic syndrome, high C reactive protein levels, and dental disease.
(Weigel. 2) With so many food insecurity associated health problems, the epidemic
comes at a massive medical financial toll. For example, heart disease alone costed
Americans $316.6 billion in 2015.( ) Maryland medicaid costs for maryland are
projected to reach $31 million for the year 2017.(Witte ) Lower medicaid costs from food
insecurity mean that state and local tax dollars will be freed up for other programs that
affect the lives of even more well off residents.

Even more important than the financial toll of food insecurity however is the toll the
problem has on human life. For example, heart disease alone killed 1,600 people in
baltimore in 2016 . (Baltimore city health department) Heart disease does not just take
lives, it destroys them prematurely. For example, just less than a month ago, on
October 13, Baltimore pastor Barry K Hargove died tragically of a heart attack. He was
a true servant who participated in a large amount of political and social work for his
 Chen, Johnson, Laios 11

community and church members. Pastor Hargove only lived 51 years and even more
tragically, his poor parents survived him. (Blair)

As previously established, households with children are disproportionately affected by

food insecurity. Very few people want children to go to bed hungry, but the true
implications of food insecurity on kids is widely unknown by the general populace. Food
insecurity is particularly problematic for children because they as a group specifically
are in dire need of quality nutrition. Nutrition during the time period known as the first
1000 days i.e. from pregnancy to the childs second birthday is critical. (Thurow. 31)
Poor nutrition during this period is known to strongly affect lifelong health. Whether or
not you believe food insecurity in adults is self-inflicted or due to societal abandonment,
children are undeniably innocent in their plight. Since the most blameless are the most
affected by food insecurity, it is our moral duty to provide a solution on the basis of
helping children alone if not for anyone else. Tying in with what was mentioned earlier,
because children are the future of the country, if they are condemned to a lifetime of
poor health because of food insecurity, our country will continue to spend vital tax
dollars on on exorbitant health costs.

Solving food insecurity in Baltimore can serve as a case study for the rest of the
country. Whether or not we succeed in fixing food insecurity will have many economic
and cultural ripple effects. This means that our success or failure will undeniably affect
the vitality of our country as a whole and affect how we are viewed by other nations.
Thriving inner cities boosted by the ripple effects of quality health could presumably
could even heal our currently growing racial tensions in America. Fixing food insecurity
in Baltimore matters, and the sky's the limit in terms of the benefits of doing so.

Commented [1]: Hey, just posting my evaluative paper

here for now. If anything stands out to any of you feel
free to paste bits in the document. I'll also go through it
and splice a few pieces in where appropriate.