Food Insecure in BR
Far too many in Baton Rouge live on the edge of hunger. 70,000 people in our community live in food deserts, living more than one mile away from a grocery store. Even more live in food swamps, where fast food is readily available and affordable but healthy food is not.
This lack of access to healthy foods has dire consequences for community health. People who live in food deserts and food swamps face far higher rates of chronic illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
HealthyBR launched Geaux Get Healthy in 2019 to increase access to affordable fresh food and the resources people need to live a healthy life.
How Geaux Get Healthy Is Working to Reduce Food Insecurity and Eliminate Food Deserts in Our Community
When Geaux Get Healthy was launched through co-funding by the Humana Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, its goal was simple — create a network of organizations to produce and distribute fresh food and connect community members to the resources they needed to improve their food security and overall health.
A collaborative project of HealthyBR (The Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative), HealthyBR acts as the backbone support organization for Geaux Get Healthy, providing coordination between partners, administrative support, and unified messaging for the entire project. Geaux Get Healthy’s many partners include core partners who address food insecurity at different levels. They provide leadership in the areas of food production, distribution, education, clinical intervention, and community leadership.
The project initially focused on addressing food insecurity in the 70805 zip code. In its first year, Geaux Get Healthy funded and supported the establishment of Baton Roots Community Farm at Howell Park and the Baton Rouge operation of Top Box Foods grocery delivery service. We also engaged with more than 4,000 community members who shared with us their lived expertise around food justice and food insecurity.
Since then, Geaux Get Healthy has expanded to six additional zip codes — 70802, 70806, 70807, 70811, 70812, and 70815 —, brought the American Heart Association on as a core partner to address food literacy and nutrition, developed a clinical intervention program in partnership with the OLOL/LSU Health North Clinic, piloted a local food hub, and partnered with Baton Roots to create a centralized community gardening group, Baton Rouge Garden Alliance.
Since 2019, Geaux Get Healthy Partners have:
But we still have a long way to go to ensure everyone in our community has access to fresh, healthy food.
& Insufficiency
Education Classes
Spaces
Partners
A More Food Secure BR
Everyone in Baton Rouge should have access to fresh food to live a healthy, active life. From getting fresh food delivered right to your door to tapping into our local community gardens and heart-healthy cooking classes, we’ve got all the ingredients Baton Rouge needs to geaux get healthy.
Top Box Delivers
Get healthy food delivered to your door.
Let's Get Cooking
Cook your way to better health.
Grow A Healthier BR
Find a community garden near you.
Geaux Get Healthier
Join us for fun, healthy events and volunteer opportunities around Baton Rouge.
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