1. A L A N M C L A I N
Y O U T H H E A L T H O R G A N I Z E R
Baltimarket Urban Food Access Strategy:
Engaging Youth Community Leadership

2. Introduction
 My CCDA story
 Baltimore City Health Department Programming

3. The Issue: Unequal Access to Healthy Food
 Food deserts in Baltimore City
 Distance to supermarket or supermarket alternative is larger
than ¼ mile
 Median household income is at or below 185% of the Federal
Poverty Level
 Over 30% of households have no vehicle available
 Average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score for all
food stores is low

4. Baltimore City Food Desert and Life Expectancy 2015

5. Baltimore City Food Deserts and Race 2015

6. What are the causes and
factors that
create/exacerbate food
deserts?

7. What is the answer?
 Retain and attract supermarkets
 Improve healthy food availability in public markets
 Conduct a transportation analysis
 Improve non-traditional grocery retail options

8. Our Solution:
The Baltimarket Healthy Stores Program
 Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI)
 Survey designed to measure healthy food landscape
 Modified to capture corner store inventory
Original HFAI Baltimarket HFAI

9.  Corner Store Incentives
 Advertising
 Technical assistance/training
 Healthy Food Grant
 $300 at the start of program, $200 after completion
 In store infrastructure (store specific)
 Produce baskets
 Shelving
 Refrigeration
 Youth Project
Our Solution:
The Baltimarket Healthy Stores Program

10.  16 session curriculum engaging 15-20 8th graders.
 Incorporated in the field learning at corner stores
 Topics include health disparities, nutrition,
leadership
Youth Neighborhood Food Advocates

11. The Curriculum: A quick look
 Defining the space
 Renouncing the banking concept of knowledge
 Sugar Shocker mix and match
 Advertising field work
 Pledge statements
 Group Projects

12. Block Clean-up/Food give-away

13. Healthy PSA

14. Phase 1 results- Six months after program launch
 Stocking
 Healthy food stocking increased in every store
 Availability rose with low fat dairy, fruit, and healthy snacks
 Availability remained high with whole grains and healthy
beverages
 Availability remained moderate with vegetables
 Sales
 Produce sales declined slightly overall
 Steady increase until a sharp drop in April 2015 (the unrest).
 Fruit kept rising, vegetables dropped.
 Frozen fruits and vegetable rose, Fresh sales declined.

15. Phase 1 results
 Youth Evaluation
 Self efficacy and engagement/empowerment increased
 Leadership decreased
 Notes for Future Youth Evaluation
 Scores were high at baseline, making it hard to show change
 Similar programs saw similar trends – perhaps because youth
see the magnitude of the problem
 Hope to do future interviews

16. Questions?
Alan Mclain
Youth Health Organizer
Baltimore City Health Department
Alan.mclain@baltimorecity.org
Visit our website at www.baltimarket.org