Hungry for Change: Older Adults & Food Deserts

Sheila Holbrook-White, Resource Development Director MyRIDE- Tarrant – MHMR Tarrant

Direct: 817 569 4085Email: Sheila.Holbrook-White@mhmrtc.org

Kasey Whitley, Director of Volunteer and In-Kind ServicesCatholic Charities Fort Worth

Direct: 817 289 3865Email: KWhitley@ccdofw.org

Merrissa Kuylen, Transportation Volunteer SpecialistVolunteer Program/Advancement

Catholic Charities Fort WorthDirect: 817 413 3936

Email: MKuylen@ccdofw.org

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Food Deserts: Elements (As defined by the US Department of Agriculture)

• Broad Definition: • “Urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh,

healthy, and affordable food.

• Elements of an Urban Food Desert: Must meet both low-income and low access criteria:

• Element 1: Low-income: • A census tract in which the poverty rate is 20% or higher; AND/OR• A census tract in which the median family income is 80% or less of the

metro area’s median family income

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Element 1: Low-Income Census Tracts, Tarrant County, Texas 2010(Source: USDA, Food Atlas)

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Food Deserts: Elements • Broad Definition:

• “Urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

• Elements of an Urban Food Desert: Must meet both low-income and low access criteria:

• Element 1: Low-income: • A census tract in which the poverty rate is 20% or higher; AND/OR• A census tract in which the median family income is 80% or less of the

metro area’s median family income

• Element 2: Low access to healthy foods: • A census tract which is located more than 1 mile from a high-quality

supermarket or large grocery store; AND• A census tract in which, at least, 500 persons and/or 33% of persons in

the census tract live more than 1 mile from a high-quality supermarket/large grocery store

• Nationally, 6,529 census tracts meet these standards. • 62% of USDA-defined food deserts are in urban areas • 23% of low-income urban tracts are food deserts

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Element 2: Low Access to Healthy Foods, Tarrant County, Texas (2010)

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Food Deserts, Tarrant County, Texas (2010)

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Food Deserts: Selected Impacts (

• Impacts of an Urban Food Desert:• Decreased access to a supermarket:

• Associated with limited food options, particularly for whole foods, including fresh vegetables and fruit

• Associated with a greater risk of obesity• Limits buying power, particularly for those with limited income• Challenges the effectiveness of government benefit programs,

particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• Increased travel costs and time cost for residents who seek to connect to a supermarket:

• Increased stress on budgets• Appears to be a factor in food insecurity

Source: Economic Research Services. 2009. Access to Affordable and Nutritious Foods: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences. US Department of Agriculture.

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Urban Food Deserts: A General Overview of Those Impacted

• The Impacted:• A greater concentration of all minorities, particularly African Americans

• The percentage of the population that is African-American is twice as large in urban food deserts than in other urban areas

• The ethnic/racial concentration holds true even after controlling for income.

• Neighborhoods with relatively higher rates of unemployment and vacant housing are an important predictor in increasing the probability of a food desert

Source: Dutko, Paula; Michele Ver Ploeg, and Tracey Farrigan. 2012. Characteristics and Influential Factors of Food Deserts. US Department of Agriculture.

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Urban Food Deserts: The Uniquely Impacted

• The Uniquely Impacted:“Low-income older adults, ages 60 and older, may be uniquely affected by food deserts because of: • Limited transportation options, • Strong attachments to local neighborhoods, • Fixed incomes, and • Physical limitations in food shopping.”

(Source: Fitzpatrick, K; Greenhalgh-Stanley, N., and M. Ver Ploeg. 2014. The Impact of Food Insufficiency and SNAP Participation Among the Elderly.)

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Urban Food Deserts: The Uniquely Impacted

• “Seniors without vehicles in food deserts may be most vulnerable to limited food store access.”

• Older adults are less likely to participate in SNAP than other demographic groups

• The combined travel and time costs to the nearest supermarket can be prohibitive

• While transit may be proximate, physical limitations may challenge walking to/from bus stops, handling bags, and/or using public transit

• Older adults living in food deserts are likely to be women, many living alone

• Seniors that live in a food deserts and do not own a vehicle are 12% more likely to report food insufficiency

• Seniors living in food deserts without a vehicle were 8% more likely to skip a meal due to financial constraints

(Source: Fitzpatrick, K; Greenhalgh-Stanley, N., and M. Ver Ploeg. 2014. The Impact of Food Insufficiency and SNAP Participation Among the Elderly.)

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Transportation and Grocery Shopping in Tarrant County

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MyRIDE-Tarrant

• A three-year MHMR Tarrant initiative focused on eliminating transportation barriers for persons with disabilities

• Provide individualized Transportation Options Counseling via phone, VRS, email, text, Twitter, and Facebook

• Provide Tarrant County Mobility 101 training to health and human services agencies, discharge planners, RNs, clients, and others

• Using data collected through Transportation Options Counseling and other assessments, MyRIDE-Tarrant develops strategic partnerships and initiatives that support greater mobility for persons with disabilities

• Funded by the North Central Texas Council of Governments

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Trip Purpose(August 2014- August 2015)

Medical: General

60%

Groceries 19%

Employment8%

Medical: Dial-ysis4%

Medical: Cancer Treatment

3%

Other6%

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Who Needs Assistance With Transportation to Grocery Shop?

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Age Range of Callers Who Request Navigation for Grocery Trips

Ages 55- 6019%

Ages 65-6919%

Ages 76 and Older19%

Ages 70 - 7514%

Ages 50 - 5410%

Ages 40 - 498%

Ages 61- 648% Ages 18 - 22

2%

Ages 30- 392%

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Self-Described Disability of Callers Who Request Navigation for Grocery Trips

(

Mobility-Re-lated Disabil-

ity; 67%

Cognitive Disability; 12%

Psychiatric Disability ; 8%

No Disability; 8%

Visual Disabil-ity ; 6%

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Where Do Those Who Need These Grocery Trips Live and Want To Travel?

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Starting Point By City (August 2014- August 2015)

Fort Worth60%

Arlington 10%

Hurst8%

Haltom City 6% NRH

4%

White Settlement4% Benbrook

2%

Lake Worth2%Richland Hills

2%Other

2%

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Starting Point By Zip Code (August 2014- August 2015)

7611611%

761128%

760536%

761176%

761196%

760134%

761054%

761084%

761114%

761404%

761694%

761804%

All Other Zips37%

76116: Benbrook/Fort Worth

76112: Fort Worth

76053: Hurst

76117: Haltom City/Fort Worth

76119: Forest Hill/Fort Worth

76013: Arlington/Pantego

76105: Fort Worth

76108: White Settlement/Lake-side/Fort Worth

76111: Haltom City/Fort Worth

76140: Everman/Forest Hill/Fort Worth

76179: Saginaw/Fort Worth

76180: Haltom City/NRH/Rich-land Hills/Fort Worth

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Shopping Destination By City (August 2014- August 2015)

Fort Worth51%

Arlington13%

Everman7%

Forest Hill6%

Hurst5%

NRH5%

Haltom City4%

Benbrook3%

White Settlement3%

Crowley2%

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Shopping Destination By Zip Code (August 2014- August 2015)

761049%

761167%

761327%

761807%

760534%

761084%76119

4%76164

4%

760012%

760062%

760112%

All Other Zips47%

76104: Fort Worth

76116: Benbrook/Fort Worth

76132: Benbrook/Fort Worth

76180: Haltom City/NRH/Rich-land Hills/Fort Worth

76053: Hurst

76108: White Settlement/Fort Worth

76119: Forest Hill/Fort Worth

76164: Fort Worth

76001: Arlington

76006: Arlington

76011: Arlington

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What Transportation Options Are Recommended? Are Grocery Trips Occurring?

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Recommended Options(August 2014- August 2015)

Catholic

Charities F

ort W

orth

The T- MITS

HandiTran

The T Fixed-Route

Service

Private

Taxi

Mid-Cities C

are Corp

s0

10

20

30

40

50

60

7062.8

48.8

11.64.7 4.7 2.3

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Outcomes(August 2014- August 2015)

Yes: Grocery Trip Was

Completed46%

No: Grocery Trip Was Not Completed

50%

Unable to Reach In-dividual

4%

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MyRIDE-Tarrant: Other Means Used? (August 2014- August 2015)

Yes: Grocery Trip Was

Completed38%

No: Grocery Trip Was Not Completed

62%

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Hungry for Solutions:Older Adults and Food Deserts

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Hungry for Solutions: Healthy Foods Travel to Older Adults

)

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Hungry for Solutions: Healthy Foods Travel to Older Adults)

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Hungry for Solutions: Older Adults Travel to Healthy Foods )

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Hungry for Solutions: Tarrant Riders Network

• Countywide Coalition: Formed in April, 2012• Co-Chaired by Judge Glen Whitley and United Way of

Tarrant County CEO Tim McKinney

• Mission: It is the vision for Tarrant County to ensure consumer and rider focused transportation options that meet the needs of all

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Hungry for Solutions: Tarrant Riders Network Volunteer Driver Program

• Network’s First Initiative: Volunteer Driver Program, operated by Catholic Charities Fort Worth

• Developed to meet the needs of older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income families that cannot be currently met by existing transportation options

• Kicked off officially: June 2015• Developed in a collaboration with older adults,

persons with disabilities, human service agencies, elected officials, and low-income families

• Funded by the North Central Texas Council of Governments

•

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Hungry for Solutions: Tarrant Riders Network Volunteer Driver Program

• Passenger Focus: • Services to older adults• Services to persons with disabilities

• Geographic Focus: • Services throughout the County• Special Pilot Focus: Haltom City; Forest Hill;

Everman; and Arlington

• Initiative Focus: • Recruit volunteer drivers• Train volunteer drivers • Deploy volunteer drivers

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Hungry for Solutions: Tarrant Riders Network Volunteer Driver Program Training

October – December 2015

• October 1: 6 – 8 p.m. Location: CCFW- Fort Worth• October 7: 10- 12 p.m. Location: Tinker House• October 15: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Location: CCFW-Fort Worth• October 20: 12- 2 p.m. Location: Arlington• November 4: 10 – 12 p.m. Location: Tinker House• November 5: 6 – 8 p.m. Location: CCFW- Fort Worth• November 17: 10 -12 p.m. Location: Arlington• November 19: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Location: CCFW- Fort Worth• December 2: 10 – 12 p.m. Location: Tinker House• December 3: 6 – 8 p.m. Location: CCFW- Fort Worth• December 15: 10 – 12 p.m. Location: Arlington • December 17: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Location: CCFW-Fort Worth

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Follow-Up Contacts Sheila Holbrook-White, Resource Development DirectorMHMR TarrantDirect: 817 569 4085Cell: 512 699 8136Email: Sheila.Holbrook-White@mhmrtc.org

MyRIDE-Tarrant MHMR Tarrant Toll-Free: 682 587 7099Email: MyRIDETarrant@gmail.comwww.MyRIDETarrant.com

Website: www.TarrantRidersNetwork.org

Kasey Whitley, Director of Volunteer and In-Kind ServicesCatholic Charities Fort WorthDirect: 817 289 3865Email: Kwhitley@ccdofw.orgwww.CatholicCharitiesFortWorth.org

Merrissa Kuylen, Transportation Volunteer SpecialistVolunteer Program/AdvancementCatholic Charities Fort WorthDirect: 817 413 3936Email: Mkuylen@ccdofw.org