MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Dozens of Frayser families will soon be getting healthy meals for free.
Several organizations, including Fish-n-Loaves, are teaming up to build a food sustainability hub right in the community.
“What that means is basically we have two facets–we do food recovery or food rescue, and we actually grow our own food because we do everything sustainable,” said Food-n-Loaves Executive Director Austin Avery.
Avery said the idea is that they can grow their own food in the community to give back to those who need it most.
“We partner with grocery stores–we clean their foods, we package it and we give it to the patients at Christ Community Health Services, as well as the community for free,” Avery said. “But then we also have put in a greenhouse that’s going to be solar powered and will produce the same amounts of foods.”
The hub was able to come to life with help from the American Heart Association and Care Foundation.
Avery said it will provide all sorts of healthy options to families.
“So we’re going to give fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, we’re going to grow tilapia, but we’re also going to have okra, snap beans. We’ll have bell peppers,” he said.
On Thursday, workers from Home Depot stores throughout the community came on their time off to help.
“We’re going to work on building a raised flower bed,” store manager Michael Cobbs said. “We’re going to build some shelving to house the solar panels.”
The food sustainability hub will also provide hands-on opportunities to local students, like learning how the greenhouse and solar energy works.
“To just see the students come out from West Side, the elementary school where I went, and to see what this community can become and can be, it’s amazing,” said Fish-n-Loaves Community Engagement Director Reesie Avery.
The hub will officially open on November 12 at 10 a.m. It will serve 30 to 50 families a week.