By Jilly Horaneck
Elm Staff Writer
On Feb. 1, China Boak Terrell came to speak to students during “Bread Alone: How the Food Environment Can Bring Positive Change to Low-Income, Urban Communi- ties” as part of the McClain Series in Litrenta Lecture Hall. The talk centered on the Balti- more Food Hub, which “[is] about bringing positive change to a collection of neighbor- hoods in East Baltimore through the food economy,” Terrell said.
The Baltimore Food Hub is a collec- tion of six buildings (five historic and one new construction) on three and a half acres in East Baltimore, about four blocks away from the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus. In these buildings, there will be commercial and teaching kitchens, food manufacturing, places where people can go for job training, urban farming, and an all-season fresh food market.
Terrell is an alumna from Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and University of Minnesota Law School. After having open heart surgery and working as a corporate lawyer for 14 years, Terrell decided to move onto something new because, “[she] didn’t want corporate lawyer as her epitaph.” She then decided to pursue her true passion in public service, which led to her becoming the CEO of American Communities Trust (ACT) and came across the Baltimore Food Hub.
According to their website, ACT is a non-profit organization that “focuses on the nexus of social-impact real estate, impact in- vestment, and community benefits in order to build dynamic, cross-sector partnerships.”
The area where the Food Hub will be lo- cated is considered to be a food desert, which is a part of the country where fresh fruit, veg- etables, and other healthy foods cannot be found easily due to a lack of places that offer these items. According to statistics provided by Terrell, more than 60 percent of people in that area do not have access to cars, making it even harder to find healthy food.
According to the project’s website, one of the buildings is already leased out to City Seeds, operated by Humanim, a non-profit organization that aims to help individuals with disabilities by providing services and workforce development. Humanim will be using its space for a range of programs and services to help create jobs. At the commer- cial kitchens, people will be able to come rent the space to cook or to teach their cooking skills. There is also an urban farm where peo- ple can grow fresh fruits and vegetables year round. Other buildings on the property are either still leasing or are about to go under contract.
Terrell said, “We are going to use the food economy to bring people jobs, bring people helpful food access, and to bring beautiful gateways to the city.” ACT wants to be able to bring together an inclusive community where all are welcome and make the area thrive. “Our philosophy is to bring inclusive economic opportunities to communities that empower without displacement and without dispossession.”