Our History
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Peoria Grown was founded in 2018 as part of Senator Weaver’s community leadership initiative. Our team decided to address the ever-growing issue of food insecurity in the Peoria area. We began by researching our community to determine what were the biggest issues facing food insecure individuals. After about a year of working within the community, we identified dietary education and access to fresh produce, as the two main issues not being addressed in areas identified as food deserts. We also discovered that there was an opportunity for increased coordination and partnering among existing resources.

 

We have learned that people who are food insecure are likely to face major health issues, and are often unsure of how exactly diet affects their health. Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, dental issues and more can be greatly affected and controlled by diet. We also discovered that there is a misconception that healthy food should take a backseat whenever people are in need or when there is an emergency. Healthy food does not have to be more expensive, and it builds good habits that disrupt the cycle of food insecurity that plagues our community. Peoria Grown would like to make a difference in how emergency food is provided to our community, particularly for children who are forming lifelong eating habits.