High School Student Helps Families Have Healthy Food Access

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Fish, quinoa, canned vegetables and low-sodium soups are just some of the things that people are searching for at the food banks in New Albany (3.7% Latino), but not getting access to, according to High School junior Anna Perkins from Floyd Central High School.

Now Ambassador-level Girl Scout, Perkins is working to make sure all in need of healthier foods, have access.

Recognizing that many people who go to the food banks already have health risks such has high blood pressure and diabetes, Perkins decided to help create a checklist to help people donate healthier food items.

Now, for over a year, Perkins worked with Hope Southern Indiana Food Bank to complete her Gold Award project which helps organizations and groups to use an outline that highlights healthier choices to donate.

Perkins has included in the list a cost of comparisons between healthier options versus not as healthy options to donate. For example, rolled oats instead of instant fruit and cream oatmeal or green tea instead of hot cocoa mix, showing that for a few cents more, a client can have a healthier food option with double the servings.

Angie Graft, the director of Hope Southern Indiana explained that much of the work that Perkins has implemented has helped healthier food donations grow. Graft also explained that Perkins was wanting to change people’s attitude about what they donate, and ensure that the food that was being donated would be good for all bodies.

“I really hope it just increases healthy donations to food banks all around the community, because food banks appreciate all of the food they get, [but] they really appreciate the healthy food because they just don’t get that much of it,” Perkins told New and Tribune.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

1

Supermarket

for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood

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