xad

1
Education, Access, Thrive Underserved
Populations Healthy Food (EATUP) Creating a
Model to Examine Food Access at a District Level
Presented by Kyle Curtis, MPA, Food Policy
Specialist for Community Environmental
Services January 19th, 2012
2

• Education, Access, Thrive Underserved
  Populations
• (EATUP) was a 2011 Community Food Systems project
  awarded from Miller Foundation funds to Renée
  Bogin Curtis of Community Environmental Services
  at Portland State University (PSU) through a
  Solutions Generator grant from PSU's Institute of
  Sustainable Solutions. The project team included
  several PSU faculty and staff who served in
  research or advising roles.

3
Presentation Overview

• Purpose of Project
• Design an assessment model to evaluate food
  access
• Examine access equity issues at district level.
  
• Steps of Project Assessment
• Tools used
• Brief Summary of Findings
• Implications Outreach
• Discussions Recommendations
• Review of Assessment Model
• Applicability to other Districts

4
Purpose of Project

• To design an assessment model to evaluate food
  access at a district level.
• Examine access equity issues at district level.
  
• Oregon routinely ranks high on USDAs hunger
  insecurity list.

Data source Economic Research Services, USDA
5
Steps of Project Assessmentto examine access to
healthy food for underserved populations in PSU
EcoDistrict

• Preliminary information gathering to refine
  assessment goals.
• Identify vulnerable populations and possible
  barriers to their access of healthy food
  (low-income students and seniors in the
  EcoDistrict.)
• Solicit input and information from project
  partners and stakeholders, who completed a
  questionnaire. Identify existing food security
  resources.
• Tools used to evaluate access
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping
• USDA SNAP retail locater tool
• Retail assessment (Multnomah County Healthy
  Retail assessment)
• Surveys conducted with students and seniors
• Outreach materials customized distributed in
  PSU EcoDistrict.

6
Maps of EcoDistrict SNAP retail within
boundaries a half-mile buffer zone.
Half-mile buffer zone suggested as a measure of
urban livability for the elderly and disabled to
reach their basic needs.
7

• Retail Assessment
• Used Multnomah Countys Healthy Retail Assessment
  form versus 20-page NEMS-S form.
• Collected information regarding store layout
  presentation of food food prices location of
  dairy, meat, fruit, and boxed food whether
  stores sold alcohol or tobacco.

8

• Survey Piloted with Senior Student Residents/
  Visitors
• Goal anecdotal insights about food buying habits
  food access.
• Findings Not enough for significant results, but
  still interesting.
• 34 Student electronic or paper surveys completed
  online or at PSU.
• Half of students surveyed do some food shopping
  in the EcoDistrict. Most food purchased by
  students is outside of EcoDistrict.
• Two-thirds of non-SNAP users dont know if they
  were eligible.
• Some students shop at regions farmers markets (3
  of 12 SNAP users).
• 11 Senior surveys conducted in person with
  multifamily residents.
• Most respondents use SNAP and shop just outside
  the EcoDistrict.
• Most know SNAPs accepted at the Farmers Market,
  but dont use it.

9
Implications

• The assessment model allowed us to overlay GIS
  mapping with the SNAP retail locator with
  under-served residential and student populations
  to understand the relationship between potential
  need and actual availability.
• Results indicated limited access to SNAP retail
  options within the district, but potentially low
  awareness of these options. These results
  informed a customized outreach campaign.

10
Outreach Goals

• Identify under-served populations
• Assess access to healthy food.
• Conduct outreach to improve access.
• Ensure districts are inclusive and affordable,
  not exclusive.

11
Review of Assessment Model

• Basic steps
• Identify SNAP retail locations.
• Map out vulnerable populations.
• Assess SNAP retail (products options).
• Conduct community outreach.
• Preliminary Step Explore available food security
  resources.
• Optional Step Survey residents routine
  visitors to identify barriers assess
  satisfaction with options.
• Recommendation Include more sites people.

12
Discussion Applicability?

• Can the EATUP assessment model apply to other
  districts neighborhoods? Are there resources?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this
  model?
• How could this model be improved or better
  implemented?

13
Contacts

• Renée Bogin Curtis, MUS
• Multifamily and Food Systems Projects Manager
• Community Environmental Services
• Portland State University
• rbogin_at_pdx.edu
• 503-725-8447

Kyle Curtis, MPA Food Policy Specialist Community
Environmental Services Portland State
University curtisk_at_pdx.edu 971-570-5006

• EATUP Partners
• Portland Farmers Market
• PSUs Institute on Aging
• Multnomah County Aging Disabilities Services
  Healthy Aging Coalition

• EATUP Stakeholders
• Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI)
• Department of Human Services (DHS)
• Multnomah County Public Health Department
• PSU Student Food Bank
• Upstream Public Health
• Commissioner Nick Fishs Office
• Partners For a Hunger Free Oregon
• Portland Community Gardens