A Nutrition House for Auntie Na’s Village!
This fundraising campaign will support us in completing the construction and programming of our new Nutrition House! Unoccupied for over a decade, the house will be totally rehabbed and re-planned for its centenary year, turning the rear portion into a kitchen and education space, and restoring the streetfacing portion into a community dining room. Out back, the old garden will be transformed into a new base for the distribution of her food boxes, garden produce (grown across the street!), and hot meals.
Your amazing donations will go towards the completion of:
- A fully-equipped commercial-spec kitchen
- The refurbishment of the old living spaces as a community dining area
- The fitting-out of the attic as a learning space, with a new easyaccess rear staircase for discrete access
- The purchase and conversion of two shipping containers as insulated food storage facilities
- The provision of dis/abled access and bathroom facilities
- The construction highly-energy efficient building envelope, using ultra-green building materials and heating/ventilation systems, and using the rehab as a model for best-practice in eco-building in Detroit
- The restoration of the original 100-year-old wooden windows
- The expansion of the urban farm and hoop houses
Once completed, The Auntie Na's Nutrition House will become part of the Auntie Na's Village. At the house we will be able to provide:
- Daily hot meals for neighbourhood residents
- A nutritional health program, tied directly to the work of the Medical Clinic
- A home-cooking education program
- A gathering space for neighbours
- Kitchen space for neighbourhood entrepreneurs to launch foodbased businesses
- Effective storage of perishable goods for distribution to the community
Why this is so important
While Detroit's much trumpeted 'renaissance' makes headlines here and abroad, it is sometimes difficult to square with the reality for many Detroiters. Auntie Na's neighbourhood comprises one of the United States' most deprived areas. During a recent test at our medical centre, we found a third of children had elevated levels of lead in their blood. In her ZIP code, 62% of children live below the poverty level, and it is classified as being in the third lowest quartile for food access, (one of the worst among urban areas to register as
such), putting it comfortably within the USDA's definition of a 'food desert.' On the ground, we find that almost all of the 'food' technically available in the vicinity comprises fast food, liquor stores, or gas station snacks.
With federal guidelines for SNAP (food assistance) being tightened, our service demographic will suffer disproportionately, and our general analysis is that this will likely have catastrophic effects on food access in the neighbourhood. On the ground, too, we find many food banks are less wellstocked than they have been in previous years, and - crucially - tend to stock higher numbers of perishable goods than in the past, with less capacity for storage and refrigeration than is needed. Now more than ever, there is a need for innovative, targeted, and holistic solutions to solving health and nutrition problems in the city, and we know we are well placed to beginmeeting these needs.
such), putting it comfortably within the USDA's definition of a 'food desert.' On the ground, we find that almost all of the 'food' technically available in the vicinity comprises fast food, liquor stores, or gas station snacks.
With federal guidelines for SNAP (food assistance) being tightened, our service demographic will suffer disproportionately, and our general analysis is that this will likely have catastrophic effects on food access in the neighbourhood. On the ground, too, we find many food banks are less wellstocked than they have been in previous years, and - crucially - tend to stock higher numbers of perishable goods than in the past, with less capacity for storage and refrigeration than is needed. Now more than ever, there is a need for innovative, targeted, and holistic solutions to solving health and nutrition problems in the city, and we know we are well placed to beginmeeting these needs.
How You Can Help
You can support us by donating here! Sharing this campaign with family and friends on social media has a huge (huge!) impact, and is easy.
IF we meet our goal the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will match your dollars, essentially DOUBLING YOUR DONATION!!! While this is crucial to completing the project, we are determined to raise even more than the matched amount to give the program security for the coming years!!!
We thank the Kresge Foundation and all our many wonderful contributors over the years for carrying us this far!
If you prefer to give by cash or check please make out to Auntie Na's House and deliver to: 12028 Yellowstone St., Detroit, MI 48204
If you have questions or concerns please contact 313 808 8940 (Auntie Na) or 313 977 0379 (Edward Ponti)
IF we meet our goal the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will match your dollars, essentially DOUBLING YOUR DONATION!!! While this is crucial to completing the project, we are determined to raise even more than the matched amount to give the program security for the coming years!!!
We thank the Kresge Foundation and all our many wonderful contributors over the years for carrying us this far!
If you prefer to give by cash or check please make out to Auntie Na's House and deliver to: 12028 Yellowstone St., Detroit, MI 48204
If you have questions or concerns please contact 313 808 8940 (Auntie Na) or 313 977 0379 (Edward Ponti)