Gardens growing change in Flint

June 30, 2023

Summary: Residents of senior centers in the Flint area are enjoying growing their own food in community gardens and participating in fun physical activity programming, thanks to the efforts of the Greater Flint Health Coalition (GFHC).

Challenge: Many senior centers in the Flint area have a need for fresh produce, which is important to maintaining good health in their residents. Additionally, many senior center residents had little or no knowledge of how to prepare fresh produce, and lacked safe opportunities for physical activity.

Solution: With SNAP-Ed funding from Michigan Fitness Foundation, the GFHC delivers nutrition and physical activity education to residents, including senior citizens, across Flint and Genesee County. GFHC is a collaboration between Flint and Genesee County’s public health systems, physicians, hospitals, health insurers, safety-net providers, businesses, educational institutions, community-based organizations, nonprofits, government policymakers, labor, media, and local residents.

With a focus on senior center-based community gardens, GFHC is working with the community to address barriers to healthy living by improving access to fresh fruits and vegetables and providing a safe place for senior citizens to be active in the region. GFHC’s work in gardens grew out of its SNAP-Ed direct education programming like Fresh Conversations and Rec-Connect™. The Fresh Conversations program is designed for seniors and held at Flint’s Calvary United Methodist Church. It supports healthy aging and independence with strategies for easy and affordable healthy eating and physical activity.

GFHC uses MFF’s Rec-Connect™ program to help people shift how they think about physical activity. This is done by creating a supportive atmosphere where people can incorporate no- or low-cost ways to be physically active in their community and use what they’ve learned to be active at home. For example, in community settings, people can do physical activity “tastings” where they are able to try out a variety of fun physical activities like dancing and fun chair exercises. Throughout the program, people learn how physical activity builds strength that supports daily movement, which is especially helpful for activities like gardening.

In the process of hosting SNAP-Ed direct education programming at various community centers, GFHC staff learned that the senior centers they were working with had a need for fresh produce. They also learned two of the sites where they provided programming had community gardens that needed some additional support, the Krapohl Senior Center in Mt. Morris Township, northwest of Flint, and Hasselbring Senior Center on Flint’s north side. As part of the community garden efforts, GFHC helped the Krapohl Center repair a 26- by 49-foot greenhouse that had been destroyed by a storm. When it is complete, propane heating will extend Krapohl’s growing season and exponentially increase the amount of fruits and vegetables produced.

“Some of our residents have never cooked with fresh produce. It’s nice that now we can go with them and pick something from the garden, show them how to cut it up and prepare it, be more hands-on, and get them actively eating it,” said GFHC Assistant Project Manager Alaina Larrea.

Sustaining success: There are plans in the works to double the size of the community garden at Hasselbring and make it more accessible, with longer-lasting metal raised beds to replace the beds made from wood. Having new raised-bed gardens built higher will make it easier for older adults so they don’t have to bend or squat to access the plants. And having them placed further apart will allow wheelchair access. While the garden generated produce last year, like Krapohl, the improvements will help greatly expand output in the coming season.