E-Roadmap Corporation: Growing Healthy Food & Communities

On the 21^st of January, the No Kid Hungry Florida team was able to participate in the inauguration of E-Roadmap Corporation’s (ERM) new multipurpose space for the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beach, FL. E-Roadmap Corporation is a nonprofit organization devoted to youth development and empowerment for a sustainable future. The organization focuses on creating systematic change in underserved communities through farming and gardening projects- the kind of project we love to support and elevate!

Amongst the many initiatives of the organization is Operation No Food Gap (ONFG). This innovative program brings about sustainable community-based solutions to eradicate food deserts and address the challenge of diet induced diseases in low-income communities throughout Palm Beach County.

This past weekend, the No Kid Hungry Florida team was able to visit one of ERM’s amazing projects in Riviera Beach. Veleke Brown, CEO of E-Roadmap Corporation, turned 3 unused plots of land next to John F. Kennedy Middle School into an urban farm, medicinal garden, and a multipurpose space for use by the school and community. This amazing project has produced 12,000 pounds of non-GMO, organic produce in the last year, which was distributed across the community. For Veleke it wasn’t only important to grow produce for the residents of Riviera Beach- she wanted to grow the best quality. As Veleke and her team of volunteers continued developing the land for its community, they created an inspiring partnership with John F. Kennedy Middle School. That’s when they started working on the third plot of unused land to create a multipurpose space for the school. The school’s many talented students, the culinary program and school band will be able to perform on the stage that was built for them. Students will be able to learn about gardening with the gardening beds that have been set up for them. Culinary students will have the opportunity to harvest the garden’s goods to use in their cooking courses. The physical education teachers will have the space to teach yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. The art teachers can utilize the new outside space to offer new inspirations for students.

As our Florida Director Sky Beard mentioned, “With this new space, E-Roadmap is once again responding to the needs of its community. We are grateful to support such an impactful organization.

Since March 2020, No Kid Hungry Florida has distributed 10.6 million dollars in grant funding to nonprofit organizations and school districts across the state of Florida to combat child hunger, such as E-Roadmap Corporation. Now more than ever, families are struggling with food insecurity due to high inflation rates. For our team at No Kid Hungry Florida, it is of utmost importance to support such inspiring and innovative projects such as E-Roadmap. Join us in our fight to make No Kid Hungry a reality!