This Fall we are excited to explore interest in a new ministry titled Creation Care. One of the most pressing concerns facing Durham today is a concern over food insecurity. Approximately 1 in 6 low-income individuals in Durham involuntarily skip at least one meal per day. One of the largest contributing factors to Durham’s food insecurity is a lack of access to grocery stores. Durham has four identified food deserts.

A food desert is described as not having a grocery store within walking distance of an individual’s residence. 25.9% of Durham does not have a grocery store within two miles of residential housing. This number jumps to over 40% if you add the qualifier “quality” to “grocery store.’ A “Quality” grocer is one that offers “fresh” produce. Of the top 100 metropolitan areas in the United States, Durham ranks 75th in access to food.

In an effort to allow grassroots movements to address access to fresh produce, Durham allows for a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to be grown in residential home gardens. This ministry seeks to join in that effort by empowering the food insecure to grow their own resources by planting gardens in their space and providing education and maintenance assistance as needed. This ministry also seeks to contribute to food insecurity by planting gardens at congregation members' homes and donating the produce at harvest season.