UNCW Public Sociology students build community and promote health
Amanda Smith | Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/14/09 Section: Lifestyles
In an effort to build community and help provide residents with nutritious food options, students from the Public Sociology program will launch a community vegetable garden Oct. 24 at the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA)/ UNCW Community Campus at Hillcrest.
Partnered with other Wilmington and UNCW groups, students from the Public Sociology program are building the garden to give residents in the Hillcrest community access to fresh vegetables they possibly otherwise would not have.
"We know that the healthier foods you eat, the better your overall health is going to be," said Kim Lancaster, a WHA/UNCW Community Campus coordinator. "Many of the residents here don't have transportation, so giving them the opportunity to have a garden on site to where they can go and help themselves to fresh vegetables would be a benefit for the community," she added.
Providing residents with nutritious food options and building physical health is just one of the ways the garden benefits the community. According to Dr. Leslie Hossfeld, director of the Public Sociology program, the garden can also build up the health of the community and create a sense of solidarity amongst Hillcrest residents as they work in the garden together.
"We believe, and research shows, that the more involved the residents are, the healthier the community will be," Hossfeld said.
The WHA/UNCW Community Campus was developed by Dr. Hossfeld in an effort to bridge campus and community. After 3 years of meetings between the Wilmington Housing Authority and UNCW, the doors to the WHA/UNCW Community Campus opened in May 2008, and it was made an official UNCW campus. The community campus now provides low-income residents with access to numerous free programs, while giving students the chance to have hands-on learning experiences.
"I really wanted a place for public sociology students to be in the community. I know they are now developing the skills they need for the jobs they will get," said Hossfeld.
Partnered with other Wilmington and UNCW groups, students from the Public Sociology program are building the garden to give residents in the Hillcrest community access to fresh vegetables they possibly otherwise would not have.
"We know that the healthier foods you eat, the better your overall health is going to be," said Kim Lancaster, a WHA/UNCW Community Campus coordinator. "Many of the residents here don't have transportation, so giving them the opportunity to have a garden on site to where they can go and help themselves to fresh vegetables would be a benefit for the community," she added.
Providing residents with nutritious food options and building physical health is just one of the ways the garden benefits the community. According to Dr. Leslie Hossfeld, director of the Public Sociology program, the garden can also build up the health of the community and create a sense of solidarity amongst Hillcrest residents as they work in the garden together.
"We believe, and research shows, that the more involved the residents are, the healthier the community will be," Hossfeld said.
The WHA/UNCW Community Campus was developed by Dr. Hossfeld in an effort to bridge campus and community. After 3 years of meetings between the Wilmington Housing Authority and UNCW, the doors to the WHA/UNCW Community Campus opened in May 2008, and it was made an official UNCW campus. The community campus now provides low-income residents with access to numerous free programs, while giving students the chance to have hands-on learning experiences.
"I really wanted a place for public sociology students to be in the community. I know they are now developing the skills they need for the jobs they will get," said Hossfeld.
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