High School Students Prepare Local Food to Improve Wellness

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department

Preparing and sharing meals together provides connection and moments of joy between friends and family. High school students enrolled in the Foods Program at Southern Garrett High School led by Chef Rob Scardina have formally joined the effort to address food and nutrition security in the community. 

“This project benefits our students, local agencies, and the community; it’s a win for everyone,” said Paul Edwards, Director of Secondary Education, athletics, and CTE.

This collaboration is made possible through funding from the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control at the Maryland Department of Health. For the second year, the grant award, State Partnerships Improving Nutrition & Equity (SPINE), will support community collaborations to promote food and nutrition security.

The Population Health, Innovation, and Informatics Unit within the Garrett County Health Department submitted the proposal and continues to work closely with partners from the University of Maryland Extension, Garrett Growers, and Garrett County Government. “High school students have expressed their concerns about issues related to food insecurities and, through this partnership, are going to be part of the solution to address these challenges in our county,” said Shelley Argabrite, Health Strategist & Director of Population Health, Innovation & Informatics.

Improvements in addressing food and nutrition security for residents continue to be a major focus of the funding. Healthy recipes, cooking demonstrations, and other tips for making affordable meals are available on the gogarrettcounty.com website. By watching videos and reading short articles on the website, Garrett County residents can earn points for gift cards, fresh produce from Garrett Growers, gas cards, and many other incentives to improve wellness.

Argabrite encourages community involvement saying, “Meaningful conversations and local data collection around food insecurities are foundational to these efforts and help us continue creating a community of collaboration built to improve health outcomes.” 

Year two will bring expansion to this project by creating infrastructure in the form of a nonprofit with a multisector board which will aid in the ease of resource coordination to help end hunger in Garrett County. Additional partners from the Western Maryland Food Council, Garrett County Farm Bureau, Mountain Fresh Farmers Markets, and others are sharing their thoughts. 

Your input is requested as well. To be a part of the efforts to make Garrett County hunger-free, visit mygarrettcounty.com and join the Food Council action group found here, https://mygarrettcounty.com/groups/social-determinants-of-health/. Follow the progress with real-time data reporting and get updates to stay informed.

Cutline: Pictured surrounded by students from the Food Program at Southern High School are Shelley Argabrite and Chef Rob Scardina as they kick off a partnership to be a part of the solution to address food insecurities in Garrett County.