The Southside Community faces significant challenges in accessing fresh, nutritious food due to transportation and financial barriers, contributing to local health disparities. This initiative will establish community gardens, food preservation programs, and educational workshops to empower residents with the skills needed to grow, harvest, and preserve fresh food. By fostering sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurial opportunities, the project aims to build a local fresh food economy and improve community well-being. As a result, the community will have increased food security, improved health outcomes, and strengthened social support networks.
The Southside Community is an urban neighborhood located in Peoria, IL, known for its close-knit residents who actively seek solutions to local challenges. It is home to a diverse population, including families, single mothers, seniors, and low-income individuals, many of whom face barriers to accessing fresh, nutritious food. This lack of access has created a significant food desert, with residents relying on processed and shelf-stable foods, contributing to health disparities and economic limitations.
The primary goal of the Southside Community is to address food insecurity through sustainable agricultural practices and educational initiatives. By empowering residents to grow, harvest, and preserve their own food, the community seeks to build a local fresh food economy and improve overall well-being. This project aligns with the Thriving Earth Exchange’s mission by leveraging science and community collaboration to create impactful, sustainable solutions.
Historically, the Southside Community has sought to address food insecurity through grassroots efforts, including small-scale garden projects and partnerships with local nonprofits. However, these initiatives have been limited in scale and resources, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach. The community’s partnership with Thriving Earth Exchange represents a pivotal step in transforming these efforts into a sustainable, scalable solution.
This project is focused on sustainable agriculture and food preservation education to engage/share resources with residents of all ages, particularly children, single mothers, and seniors who tend to bear the brunt of the issues related to inequitable food access, so that they can gain skills to grow, harvest, and preserve fresh food, reducing food insecurity and improving health, which will result in a stronger local food economy and healthier community.
To address food insecurity and promote sustainable agriculture in the Southside Community, a comprehensive initiative will be undertaken that centers on community engagement, education, and empowerment. One of the primary activities will involve establishing community and plot gardens to provide accessible spaces and resources for residents to cultivate their own food. These gardens will serve as both production areas and learning hubs, fostering a deeper connection to food systems.
Complementing the gardens, a series of hands-on workshops will be conducted, covering topics such as organic gardening techniques, food preservation methods including canning and freeze-drying, and integrated pest management (IPM). These sessions aim to equip residents with practical skills that enable them to manage their gardens sustainably and reduce food waste.
A community kitchen will also be developed to support food processing and training in value-added product creation. This shared space will not only provide the necessary infrastructure for transforming fresh produce into marketable goods, but also function as a venue for skill-building and small-scale entrepreneurship.
To further engage the community and distribute surplus produce, a variety of outreach events will be organized. These will include pop-up grocery stores and educational dinners that highlight the importance of healthy eating and provide opportunities for residents to connect and learn together.
Key stakeholders in this initiative include the Southside Community Center, local residents with special focus on children, single mothers, and seniors—faith-based organizations, agricultural experts, and nutrition educators. The target audience comprises families and individuals interested in sustainable agriculture, particularly those facing significant barriers to accessing fresh food.
Through these efforts, the community will benefit from fully operational gardens and a shared kitchen space, along with hands-on training sessions and educational materials that promote long-term knowledge retention. The outreach component will play a critical role in raising awareness and encouraging widespread participation.
As a result, the availability of fresh, organic food in the Southside Community is expected to increase substantially. Residents will gain a stronger understanding of sustainable agricultural practices and adopt healthier eating habits. Perhaps most importantly, community members will be empowered to become self-sustaining food producers and entrepreneurs, fostering both economic resilience and personal agency.
For the broader community, this initiative promises a significant reduction in food insecurity, improved health outcomes, and stronger social ties. Beyond the immediate locality, it offers a replicable model for other communities facing similar challenges, demonstrating how grassroots action and collaboration can transform food systems. Within the scientific and academic spheres, the project fosters a collaborative environment in which researchers and communities work together to apply sustainable practices for tangible local impact.
The community-based sustainable agriculture initiative will span 18 months, divided into five key phases to ensure thorough planning, implementation, and impact assessment, with adequate time for expert recruitment and community engagement.
Months 1–3: Planning and Preparation
This phase will involve resource allocation, garden site selection, community outreach, and the recruitment of an agricultural expert to guide training and implementation. Initial meetings with stakeholders and target groups—such as children, single mothers, and seniors—will also be conducted to align the project with community needs.
Months 4–6: Garden Development and Community Mobilization
Garden plots will be established, and residents will begin planting with guidance from the expert. Simultaneously, the community kitchen will be finalized, and introductory orientation sessions will engage participants in project goals and shared responsibilities.
Months 7–12: Workshops and Kitchen Programming
This extended period will focus on delivering hands-on training workshops in organic gardening, composting, food preservation, and integrated pest management. The community kitchen will host sessions on value-added product creation and healthy cooking. Community events, such as pop-up markets and educational dinners, will also begin.
Months 13–15: Evaluation and Feedback
Project outcomes will be assessed through surveys, focus groups, and expert reviews. Feedback from residents will inform improvements and highlight successes, particularly in food access, skill development, and community participation.
Months 16–18: Refinement and Scaling
The final phase will include refining project components based on evaluation results and planning for potential scale-up in neighboring areas. A closing event will showcase outcomes and celebrate community contributions.
Rev. Irene Lewis-Wimbley is a proud mother of two daughters, Lyric and Trinity. She is a registered Evangelist on NWIL District, Pekin 1st Nazarene called to be their Missionary to the Southside of Peoria. In 2017, Pastor Irene relocated her family to Southside of Peoria to plant a community center which is now a Nazarene Compassionate Ministry. Pastor Irene is developing native leaders in 61605 through the research based training she calls The Evergreen Process. Her passion to bring hope, healing and freedom through leadership development process to provide Youth Development, Parent Support and Education programs and engage asset-based community development strategy. Southside Community Center offers a unique approach to evangelism and discipleship including two worship experiences, Dinner church and Freedom Fest Tent meetings kicked off by our Annual Juneteenth* Commemoration.
Eaindray Aung is currently pursuing her Master’s in Natural Resources Management (NRM) at the Asia Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand. She’s also engaged in environmental awareness projects as a student assistant, focusing on UI/UX design with her professors. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Yangon in Myanmar, she has made significant strides in environmental conservation and digital education. Her work at Fauna & Flora International involved pivotal research on wildmeat consumption and the implementation of integrated agroforestry to mitigate shifting cultivation, tackling crucial environmental issues. Between 2018 and 2023, as part of the Myanmar Mobile Education Project (myME), she excelled in developing and managing impactful social media campaigns and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives, notably the myME Box, aimed at improving Non-Formal Education (NFE) for out-of-school working children and youths. Eaindray’s role as Project Coordinator at the Myanmar Digital Education Platform (MDEP) showcased her proficiency in managing Learning Management Systems (LMS), where she blended her technical skills with educational insights. Her career stands as a testament to her commitment to blending environmental awareness with educational empowerment, leveraging advanced technology to make a significant impact. She is passionately engaged in sports, with a particular fondness for Badminton and Volleyball. Additionally, cooking is not only a significant interest but also a cherished hobby for her.
We are seeking an agricultural scientist or sustainable gardening expert to contribute to developing sustainable gardening and food preservation methods tailored to our community’s needs. The scientist/expert will provide training on integrated pest management (IPM), support curriculum development for workshops, and assist in evaluating the project’s impact. Remote engagement is acceptable, but in-person visits are preferred for hands-on sessions.
Thriving Earth Exchange asks all scientific partners to work with the community to help define a project with concrete local impact to which they can contribute as pro-bono volunteers and collaborators. This work can also position the scientists and communities to seek additional funding, together, for the next stage.
Southside Urban Agriculture Coalition
Providing technical support and resources for garden development.
Local Faith-Based Groups
Assisting with outreach to vulnerable populations.
Community Health Partnership
Offering workshops on nutrition and health education.
