Food is something we eat every day. It nourishes and sustains us, but not everyone gets three meals a day. Some only take time to eat once, and quick, cheap meals are often not the healthiest options.
With Alabama being one of the most obese states in America and many Tuscaloosa residents still living with the effects felt from the tornado, many members of the community joined the others who need assistance finding the next meal.
“These are issues our generation will have to deal with for a long time,” said Matthew Lawrence, MBA student and the president of the Net Impact chapter at the University. “If we don’t engage issues now, learn about them and try to make changes to lessen the impact, we will all end up having to deal with it.”
Net Impact, an organization of graduate students dedicated to making positive social change, is partnering with Canterbury Episcopal Church to host the Food Summit that will provide discussion opportunities for those interested in the topic of food and its effects on the community.
It will take place Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Canterbury Student Center located at 812 5th Ave. in Tuscaloosa. The event is free, and the University’s Health Promotion and Wellness Office will provide lunch.
Lawrence said that Tuscaloosa seemed to be the perfect location for the Food Summit and that Canterbury was very gracious in lending the use of their student center.
The promotion of sustainable agriculture is very important to Canterbury and something they demonstrate through their weekly farmers’ market, he said.
The Food Summit will consist of five sessions, each lasting about an hour and half.
“It is a good opportunity to hear a unique perspective that is not something you would hear just anywhere,” Lawrence said.
The Summit will feature panels and discussions on topics like the complete socio-economic cost of food, food security, food deserts, food banks, sustainable farming and the role of churches in a healthier food system. It will feature panelists from a variety of backgrounds.
Lucinda Roff, the dean of social work at the University and an ordained deacon at Canterbury Episcopal Church, will be among the panelists to present “Food Banks, Food Security and Food Deserts” at the summit.
“Some Americans live in situations where they don’t really know where their next meal will come from,” Roff said. “We will show what that is like, where they are, and various policies that will affect that.”
Roff said that an estimated 1 percent of Americans live in food insecurity, which means they cannot regularly have enough food to live an active and healthy life.
“I think it is a wonderful idea,” Roff said. “It is great that UA students are joining together with faith-based organizations to draw attention to the fact that people do not have the resources to live a healthy and active lifestyle.”
