By Alexis Clark
Tennessee State University is continuing its commitment to fill the gap in its North Nashville community categorized as a grocery store desert. TSU’s SNAP-ED program will host a F.R.E.S.H. Fair, on Saturday, July 15, to provide the community with free fresh produce, other foods, and nutrition assistance. The event will also bring awareness to the University’s efforts in fighting food insecurity and available resources. The TSU F.R.E.S.H. Fair is presented through a collaborative effort by the University’s SNAP-Education and the Family Consumer Science Programs. The community health and nutrition event is this Saturday, July 15, starting at 9:30 a.m., at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (1109 32nd Avenue North.)
TSU SNAP-Ed Agent Angela Settles said the goal is to create and develop incentives for the community during the event with impact on parents, first-time parents, and children.
“It is our hope that the TSU F.R.E.S.H. Fair will break down some of these barriers between these two entities to be able to provide and share the needed resources,” Settles said.
Along with free produce and resources, community goers will also receive affordable DormDash recipes that students can make in their college dorms or at home.
“We will provide food to the people in the community so they can make one of the three recipes from the food demonstrations at home,” Settles said.
She noted that these programs will also work closely with community partners and other organizations within Davidson County to aid in this cause as the overall food insecurity rate within the county is 15%, according to Settles.
“We believe the fair can be the first step in tackling some of these food insecurity related issues that the residents in Davidson County face,” she said.
“In the future, we hope to expand the TSU F.R.E.S.H. Fair by hosting it in different location over time for other communities and counties so that, they too, can be equipped with resources that will benefit them and their families.”
The fair will have six vendors present that will consist of Reggie’s Veggies Farm, Health and wellness tables, TSU’s community garden and more.