After a second meeting Thursday about the prospect of establishing a community food cooperative in Lynchburg, organizers agreed to broaden their reach.
“We agreed that instead of being focused on a food co-op, we needed to do something to address the health and wellness of the entire community,” said Leslie Hoglund, senior health educator with the Virginia Department of Health.
Food cooperatives typically are community-owned grocery stores operating as nonprofits.
Meeting participants — from a wide variety of city agencies — were interested in seeing the group tackle not only the need for residents to have access to healthy affordable food, but the problems of obesity, chronic disease rates and hunger.
“They’re all inter-related,” said Hoglund.
The group already is looking into mobile farmers markets, community gardens and doing an actual assessment of residents’ needs.
The group, now called the Lynchburg Food Council, will meet again March 1 to outline its new comprehensive approach to community health.
For more information, contact Leslie Hoglund at the Virginia Department of Health Central Virginia Health District, (434) 947-2629.
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