Tell the City of Manhattan to Put an End to Northview's Food Desert
Tell the City of Manhattan to Put an End to Northview's Food Desert
The Issue
100% OF NORTHVIEW IS A FOOD DESERT
According to current research from Kansas State University, 100% of Northview residents qualify as living in a food desert (compared with 13.5% of the US national average). As a result, life expectancy is lower, and rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease remain higher relative to the rest of Manhattan - all of which are related to nutrition (Food and Research Action Center 2017).
A FUNCTIONING KITCHEN AT THE EISENHOWER COMMUNITY CENTER IS A CRITICAL STEP
There is a powerful way we can change this situation, and improve the health, equity, and wellbeing of the Northview community: A kitchen at the Eisenhower Community Center (ECC). With an accessible, functioning kitchen, the ECC can be a space that supports a broad range of activities and services, including educational programs, nutritional and cooking classes, community events and meals, flu clinics, a localized COVID vaccine site, voter registration, and localized food distribution. With a functioning kitchen, Northview can begin to address the health inequities that have existed long before COVID-19, and which have been made even more urgent and severe due to the pandemic’s economic and health impacts.
The best part: this should cost us nothing, because we've already paid for it as taxpayers.
||| See Northview Rising's video for more information |||
THE CITY OF MANHATTAN KNOWS THE PROBLEM, AND THE SOLUTION
For these reasons, Northview Rising (NVR) has strongly advocated for the inclusion of a functioning kitchen at the ECC. We have repeatedly and explicitly brought this issue to the City’s attention - from speaking at city commission meetings, to writing letters and holding continuous email correspondence with city staff and officials. City staff and officials know our concerns and needs.
THE CITY HAS REJECTED AND IGNORED OUR NEEDS
Despite our efforts, city staff and officials have ignored or rejected the clearly evidenced needs of the Northview community. They have made the decision to not prioritize kitchen equipment at the ECC, and to instead prioritize using the space to promote sports tourism, and to charge user fees to community members for use of the space.
We don’t need a recreational center that is solely designed around sports tourism.
We need a community center that promotes health equity and wellbeing.
USE YOUR SIGNATURE TO DEMAND THE CITY PRACTICE EQUITY
On Tuesday, June 22nd, the City of Manhattan -– Manhattan City Commission will meet in a work session to hear a recommendation from the City’s Social Services Advisory Board regarding the allocation of funds to social services in the 2022 budget. There, NVR will recommend that the City Commission fund the buildout of the ECC kitchen, complete with equipment - as food insecurity impacts every aspect of social services in our community. NVR will address the city’s failure to promote equity and wellbeing in our community, and demand that publicly funded projects like the ECC actually reflect the needs of community stakeholders. We will demand that the city pay for kitchen equipment, waive user fees for community members accessing the space as a community benefit, and make the ECC a project that promotes equity in Northview. To demonstrate our community’s support, we will present this petition, and its number of signatures from like-minded community members who believe that projects paid for with our tax dollars must serve our needs.
SIGN TO TELL THE CITY OF MANHATTAN TO PUT AN END TO NORTHVIEW'S FOOD DESERT
The Eisenhower Community Center is a taxpayer subsidized project. It should reflect, represent, and address the needs of the community. The design and outcomes of the ECC must be relevant to the lives and wellbeing of the people being directly impacted and served by it - Northview community members. The city must ensure that publicly funded projects like the ECC are sincerely designed and equitably accessible.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - SIGN OUR PETITION!
The Issue
100% OF NORTHVIEW IS A FOOD DESERT
According to current research from Kansas State University, 100% of Northview residents qualify as living in a food desert (compared with 13.5% of the US national average). As a result, life expectancy is lower, and rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease remain higher relative to the rest of Manhattan - all of which are related to nutrition (Food and Research Action Center 2017).
A FUNCTIONING KITCHEN AT THE EISENHOWER COMMUNITY CENTER IS A CRITICAL STEP
There is a powerful way we can change this situation, and improve the health, equity, and wellbeing of the Northview community: A kitchen at the Eisenhower Community Center (ECC). With an accessible, functioning kitchen, the ECC can be a space that supports a broad range of activities and services, including educational programs, nutritional and cooking classes, community events and meals, flu clinics, a localized COVID vaccine site, voter registration, and localized food distribution. With a functioning kitchen, Northview can begin to address the health inequities that have existed long before COVID-19, and which have been made even more urgent and severe due to the pandemic’s economic and health impacts.
The best part: this should cost us nothing, because we've already paid for it as taxpayers.
||| See Northview Rising's video for more information |||
THE CITY OF MANHATTAN KNOWS THE PROBLEM, AND THE SOLUTION
For these reasons, Northview Rising (NVR) has strongly advocated for the inclusion of a functioning kitchen at the ECC. We have repeatedly and explicitly brought this issue to the City’s attention - from speaking at city commission meetings, to writing letters and holding continuous email correspondence with city staff and officials. City staff and officials know our concerns and needs.
THE CITY HAS REJECTED AND IGNORED OUR NEEDS
Despite our efforts, city staff and officials have ignored or rejected the clearly evidenced needs of the Northview community. They have made the decision to not prioritize kitchen equipment at the ECC, and to instead prioritize using the space to promote sports tourism, and to charge user fees to community members for use of the space.
We don’t need a recreational center that is solely designed around sports tourism.
We need a community center that promotes health equity and wellbeing.
USE YOUR SIGNATURE TO DEMAND THE CITY PRACTICE EQUITY
On Tuesday, June 22nd, the City of Manhattan -– Manhattan City Commission will meet in a work session to hear a recommendation from the City’s Social Services Advisory Board regarding the allocation of funds to social services in the 2022 budget. There, NVR will recommend that the City Commission fund the buildout of the ECC kitchen, complete with equipment - as food insecurity impacts every aspect of social services in our community. NVR will address the city’s failure to promote equity and wellbeing in our community, and demand that publicly funded projects like the ECC actually reflect the needs of community stakeholders. We will demand that the city pay for kitchen equipment, waive user fees for community members accessing the space as a community benefit, and make the ECC a project that promotes equity in Northview. To demonstrate our community’s support, we will present this petition, and its number of signatures from like-minded community members who believe that projects paid for with our tax dollars must serve our needs.
SIGN TO TELL THE CITY OF MANHATTAN TO PUT AN END TO NORTHVIEW'S FOOD DESERT
The Eisenhower Community Center is a taxpayer subsidized project. It should reflect, represent, and address the needs of the community. The design and outcomes of the ECC must be relevant to the lives and wellbeing of the people being directly impacted and served by it - Northview community members. The city must ensure that publicly funded projects like the ECC are sincerely designed and equitably accessible.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - SIGN OUR PETITION!
Petition Closed
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Petition created on June 7, 2021