food insecurity Archives - The Mission Continues Blog

July 19, 2018November 26, 2018

A Boy Scout’s Mission: Hazelwood Food Insecurity and Literacy

July 19, 2018
By Christian Polk, Volunteer

Platoon Leader Patti Gerhauser and Boy Scout Christian Polk

Ever since I joined Boy Scouts, my ultimate goal was to reach the rank of Eagle Scout — the highest rank in Boy Scouts. One of the many requirements for this rank is to complete a service project.

This year, at the age of 16, I was able to become an Eagle Scout by leading a service project in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Hazelwood in collaboration with The Mission Continues’ Hazelwood Service Platoon.

I was motivated to do it there because of my strong family roots in the community. My grandmother grew up in Hazelwood throughout her childhood and attended Burgwin Elementary School. My father also spent a portion of his childhood in Hazelwood. This community means a lot to me and my family. Continue reading “A Boy Scout’s Mission: Hazelwood Food Insecurity and Literacy”

April 19, 2018November 26, 2018

Columbus Ohio 1st Service Platoon Tackles Food Insecurity

April 19, 2018
By Ian Haynes, City Impact Manager

We had an amazing service project recently in Columbus Ohio to kick off our partnership with the Mid-Ohio Foodbank! Our volunteer operations are focused on combating food insecurity on the Southside of the city through work with an urban farm and multiple food pantries. We had 34 volunteers participate, comprised of 14 veterans and 4 new platoon members. This amounted to 136 service hours in which we completed four projects at two sites. Continue reading “Columbus Ohio 1st Service Platoon Tackles Food Insecurity”

August 18, 2014November 28, 2018

Fighting Hunger on Chicago’s South Side

With more than 122,000 Chicagoans living in food deserts with little access to healthy food options, The Mission Continues 1st Platoon Chicago is enhancing the health and wellness of low-income neighborhoods. 1st Platoon Chicago recently partnered with community volunteers from Delaney’s Greenhouse to build a community garden at RTW Veteran Center on Chicago’s south side. The fresh produce from the garden will provide convenient, affordable, healthy food options for the local community.

Together, volunteers built 36 raised planting beds, six hoop houses to extend the growing season during Chicago’s cold winter months, three compost bins and a row planting space which will be used during Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy sessions for veterans. The photos below highlights the magnitude of their impact.

Photo credit: Ken Jacobs

Are you a veteran interested in making an impact in your local community? Join a Service Platoon in your city today.