“It’s not that people of lower income don’t want to eat better. It’s…if you give me an option, then I can take advantage of it. If you have choices, you take the healthier one.” These are the words of Sue Lamb, a resident of Milwaukee’s north side who has been shopping at the Fondy Food Center Farmer’s Market for four years.
As part of its focus on Health, United Way of Greater Milwaukee partners with Fondy Farmer’s Market to provide fresh, affordable and locally-grown produce to promote healthy people and neighborhoods.
Sue says the market is vital to the community, because there aren’t many options for getting locally grown food in her neighborhood. “The availability of fresh, organic food is something we haven’t had in this area – and now that I have been exposed to it, fresh fruit, fresh chicken, it makes a difference,” Sue said. “Being able to talk to the vendors, understanding how to make food and why it tastes so good. They pick it on Friday and bring it to the market on Saturday and it’s so fresh – you can’t get any fresher than that.”
Sue says she feels healthier since she has become a regular visitor to the Farmer’s Market. “The older I get, the more organic I am trying to be. The need is there. As people find out about it – they are opening the door to living healthier lives.”
Fondy Food Center provides residents with an educational experience as well. “It’s a good way to try something you’ve never tried before. Vendors explain to you how to store food, how to cook it – you’re not going to get that from a grocery store,” Sue said.
Fondy Food Center also offers cooking classes to residents who want to learn how to prepare seasonal foods. Plus, participants get to take home what they cook. “We canned tomatoes this past fall, applesauce as well, which were excellent,” Sue said. “It was so good.”
Health is one of the building blocks for a good quality of life, and United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all.