Alabama is the fifth poorest state in the nation, causing 17 percent of adults and one out of every four children to struggle with food insecurity. Current research suggests that during COVID-19, the situation has worsened. Food deserts are a major contributor to food insecurity and in Birmingham, 69 percent of the population lives in a food desert.

Birmingham, my hometown, is a tale of two cities. The freshly paved roads, crisply painted signage, and manicured sidewalks of my neighborhood give way to potholes, faded or missing road signs, and broken-up sidewalks. Driving across the city, the economic realities of these two communities are plainly visible to me and emblematic of many of the challenges facing my city.

The historic Bush Hills Neighborhood, where Bush Hills Community Garden and Urban Farm is located, is a food desert, like so many other places in Birmingham. The garden was started by April Williams in 2018 on an old baseball field to provide a source of fresh produce for her friends, family, and community. At its start, there were so few resources that the irrigation system consisted of April watering the entire garden with plastic water bottles refilled from her kitchen sink. This summer, over 800 pounds of chemical-free and preservative-free squash, greens, tomatoes, corn, green tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peas, okra, kale, herbs, blackberries, and raspberries were harvested and either given to those in the surrounding community or sold at one of Birmingham’s largest farmers’ market. All profits are reinvested in the community garden. In my work there, I cleaned out sheds and closets, weeded sections of the garden, picked up trash, and helped harvest fruits and vegetables that were ready to be sold. April Williams, now a master gardener there, reminds me that whatever you put into a community is what you get out of it. 

I was born and raised in Birmingham, sixth and fifth generations on my paternal and maternal sides, respectively.  My great, great-grandmother, Lillian Roden Bowron, led the charge for voting rights for women in our state, and was the first president of the Alabama League of Women Voters, and in 1915. Reading through her letters and documents, I discovered her “take no prisoners” approach to leadership, that she had a strong desire to right what she believed to be wrong, and had a deep involvement with public service in Birmingham through her work on many boards, organizations, and associations. Lillian’s commitment to serving the people of her city and addressing systemic inequalities has inspired my volunteer efforts today.

As a member of YouthServe, I have worked for four summers on projects focused on community health issues. Poverty, food insecurity, and poor nutrition have serious consequences for the health and well-being of children, adults, and older adults, including a greater risk for chronic disease and poor mental health. Specifically, I worked with the Birmingham Mental Health Coalition to create a set of online resources for teens and young adults to help them get needed support. We also focused on the connection between physical and mental health, showing the links between healthy eating and physical activity and good mental health. During the height of the COVID pandemic, we provided clear guidance on masking and physical distancing to combat the misinformation circulating on social media.

Working on these projects brought me closer to the people of my city and it taught me so much about its issues. Even more, it showed me how many initiatives and organizations are already in place for the betterment of Birmingham, showing me more about what it means to be in a community. April’s example inspires my work at Indian Springs, where I organized our annual Diversity Week and a series of meetings for students during COVID to discuss the importance and connections of mental and physical health. Like April Williams and Lillian Roden Bowron, my goal is to make every community grow stronger.