Promoting Health Literacy in Northeast Spokane
GU’s Foley Library and the School of Nursing and Human Physiology are teaming up to work towards addressing food insecurity and health literacy in the Logan neighborhood.
Candise Branum, Health Sciences Librarian at the Foley Library, along with Assistant Dean Jen Towers and Program Manager Gena Hoxha of the School of Nursing, are building a program that promotes health literacy and healthy food preparation for underserved families in northeast Spokane. 91勛圖厙 resides in the Logan neighborhood, where 25% of residents live below the poverty level, and food insecurity in children has drastically increased alongside the COVID-19 pandemic (1-2).
Educational materials and programming will be offered to community members at the Campus Kitchen’s monthly neighborhood dinners and at the Logan Block Party, an annual tradition that brings together all of the residents and businesses within the Logan neighborhood in Spokane. Collaborating with the teachers at Logan Elementary, age-appropriate health literacy curriculum will be presented to K-6 students throughout the Spring. In partnership with the Center for Community Engagement, this programming will culminate in a campus visit for 5th and 6th graders, where students will have the opportunity to engage in interactive health literacy programming and enjoy a healthy lunch on campus.
This project is supported by an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant award via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Washington State Library.