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Food Access Healthy Neighborhoods Now hosted a community voter education workshop in Syracuse’s Elmwood neighborhood Wednesday evening. The discussion was part of a larger project to inform Syracuse residents on community issues.

The workshop was the second to last in a series that has run weekly since July. Each session provides attendees with resources and contacts related to the chosen topic. Wednesday night’s event featured Becky Lare, director of government relations for the Food Bank of Central New York, and Suren Moodliar, a Syracuse resident and author, along with FAHNN members.

Rhonda Vesey, a long-term Syracuse resident, said she co-founded the organization during the pandemic with a goal of providing fresh produce to the community. Many areas of Syracuse are located within food deserts, meaning they lack access to stores that supply produce and other fresh foods.

“It doesn’t give much thought for hope when you’re living around a jumbled mess all the time,” Vesey said. “We need to be thinking more of ways to bring people up to aspire to something different and better.”

The workshops are part of a larger initiative in response to the 2018 closing of Tops Grocery store, the last store selling fresh produce in Syracuse’s Elmwood neighborhood, Vesey said.

Following the store’s closure, Vesey reached out to At-Large Councilor Chol Majok, who at the time represented the neighborhood’s legislative district, for support. Majok encouraged her to form a group to combat this issue.

“I know I could get around … I could take two buses to get around, but what about folks who can’t?” Vesey said. “What about folks who have children and they’re being forced to buy from Dollar General, processed foods and canned foods?”

In Wednesday’s workshop, Lare spoke about the importance of registering to vote and shared ways attendees could participate in upcoming elections. After finishing her presentation, Lare opened the floor for questions from community members. She ended the conversation by passing out infographics about voting and voter registration resources in New York.

Multiple local vendors also attend the workshops, like Joyce Rudolph, who sold homemade body butter at Wednesday’s session. She said she first became involved “on a fluke,” when she noticed a sign outside of a FAHNN event, and reached out to Vesey about becoming a vendor. Since becoming involved, Rudolph has continued to attend the workshops regularly.

“It’s been transformative for me personally, because it brought me out of my comfort zone. I’m grateful for the extra push that she (Vesey) has given me to do something,” Rudolph said.

Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor

FAHNN workshops include products from local vendors. The series also aims to combat food insecurity throughout the city of Syracuse.

Moodliar spoke about the impact of this year’s general elections in the United States on the Syracuse community. He pointed to how voting affects broader social movements and local organizations, such as FAHNN.

“I hope people take away that… it’s not only about voting. It’s about getting active on those issues,” Moodliar said.

Many residents not only lack access to fresh foods, but also the knowledge to prepare it, Vesey said. During several of FAHNN’s Saturday farmers’ markets, she hosted live cooking demonstrations to teach about the importance of cooking fresh and healthy meals to sustain a well-rounded lifestyle.

In addition to the lack of food education, Vesey said she also wanted to add a workshop to the markets because of Syracuse’s high poverty rates.

“Syracuse gets that big title, but on the flip side, we don’t have enough money for the most impoverished, but we have $85 million for a fish aquarium,” Vesey said.

The voter education focus of Wednesday’s workshop is related to FAHNN’s mission, Vesey said. The organization relies on assistance from elected officials to progress its mission and initiatives to mitigate food insecurity.

Vesey said she plans to continue seeking assistance from local government and community donors to combat food insecurity and promote food education. FAHNN will host the last workshop of its series on Oct. 16, Vesey said.

“We’re in 2024, how much longer do you want people who are already impoverished to stay impoverished? Something has to change in this town,” Vesey said.

Published on October 10, 2024 at 2:44 am