SPREADING JOY AT 8 NEW MARKETS, THANKS TO YOU
Since January 2015, Martha’s Table has partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank to run Joyful Food Markets, free monthly pop-up markets that bring fresh produce, healthy pantry staples, and hands on food education to elementary schools east of the Anacostia River. Last month, we opened eight additional markets, bringing our current total to 21Joyful Food Markets. Within two years, these markets will be in all 49 elementary schools east of the river, increasing access to fresh, healthy food for over 15,000 students and their families.
Schools are a natural fit for the Joyful Food Markets initiative because they are organic hubs for community gathering, explains Lindsay Morton, Assistant Director of our Healthy Market Program. Bringing groceries directly to elementary-aged students ensures not only that children are nourished, she says, but also that they develop a love for healthy eating at a young age. As community hubs, the markets offer vital opportunities for family engagement. At Anne Beers Elementary, for example, residents from the American Academy of Pediatrics join the monthly event to offer no-cost health screenings to children—a partnership recently featured on NBC4 Washington!
Thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers, donors, and school partners who help us to create a culture of joyfulness every month!
Action Alert: Learn more about volunteering to Adopt a Market by emailing falba@marthastable.org, or donating to Sponsor a Market by emailing rdavidson@marthastable.org!
