MPH Internship Proposal

Courtney Butner

Forsyth County Department of Public Health:

Health Policy Unit
799 Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Ashley Curtice, MS

Student:

Date:

Agency Preceptor:

Date:

Internship Coordinator:

Date:

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

Part 1: PROBLEM DEFINITION

Health Problem
Food security is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as existing
when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a
healthy and active life. WHO also notes that food insecurity is built on three pillars:
food availability, food access, and food use (WHO, 2014). The State of Food Insecurity
in the World (SOFI 2014) confirmed that they have seen the number of hungry people
decline globally by more than 100 million over the last decade and by 209 million since
1990-92 (FAO, 2014). However, one in nine or approximately 805 million people in the
world still suffer from hunger, according to a recent report made by the UN (FAO, 2014).
According to hunger statistics from 2013 in the U.S., 49.1 million Americans lived in food
insecure households, including 33.3 million adults and 15.8 million children, this equates
to 14 percent of households (17.5 million households) being food insecure (Feeding
America, 2014). Households in 2013, that had higher rates of food insecurity compared
with the national average included households with children (20%), especially
households with children headed by single women (34%) or single men (23%), Black
non-Hispanic households (26%) and Hispanic households (24%) (Feeding America,
2014).
Food insecurity is a problem in North Carolina, at 17.3%, our state was among
eight states that exhibited statistically significantly higher household food insecurity
rates compared with the national average from 2011-2013 (Feeding America, 2014).
According to Healthy Food Resources Guide in North Carolina for 2014, about one in

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

every five North Carolinians is food insecure and will not have access to enough food
this year, which includes one in every four children (The Support Center, 2014).
Certain populations are at a higher risk for food insecurity. For example women
and children are among those groups at higher risk for food insecurity and as a result
negative nutrition and health outcomes (Olson, 1999). In households with migrant and
seasonal Latino farmworkers are at a higher risk for food insecurity especially in those
with children (Quandt, 2004). A large part of the problem is that too many people live in
food deserts and therefore are unable to access the healthy foods they need. Food
deserts refer to communities that do not contain healthy food retailers. Therefore,
individuals living in food deserts must travel outside of their community in order to
purchase foods to feed their families a healthy diet (The Support Center, 2014).
Currently, North Carolina has 349 food deserts in 80 counties across the state,
including Forsyth County. This data is based on census tracts that do not have a
supermarket within one mile in urban areas or 10 miles in rural areas (The Support
Center, 2014). The high presence of food deserts in North Carolina is a major
contributing factor to food insecurity.
Another important thing to note is that the healthy food retailers in North Carolina
are greatly outnumbered by less healthy, more convenient food options. The lack of
healthy food is a leading cause of obesity, which is the second leading cause of
preventable death in the U.S. (The Support Center, 2014). Obesity leads to the
increased health risk of many conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder
disease, and even certain forms of cancer. North Carolinas rate of obesity is nearly 30

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

percent with a ranking of 18th most obese state in the U.S. (The Support Center, 2014).
Limited access to healthy foods is a growing problem in Forsyth County. According to
the 2013 State of the County Health Report for Forsyth County, the percentage of the
population who are low-income and do not live close to the grocery store went up from
11% in 2012 to 12% in 2013. This report also noted a high percentage of restaurants
that are classified as fast-food establishments at 47%. (State of the County Health
Report, 2013). Food insecurity is a major problem in Forsyth County and a big factor
contributing to this is the lack of healthy options and the existence of food deserts.
Non-health Problem
Corner stores have been found to be an important source of food for rural and
low-income residents and thus a good place in which to intervene (Pitts, 2013). The
FCDPH has found that corner stores within Forsyth County are willing to stock more
healthful foods if there is a customer demand for these foods. In order to increase the
demand for these foods the FCDPH developed the Healthy Corner Stores network,
which now includes five stores. The Health Policy Unit at FCDPH promotes the program
in a variety of ways which include; conducting taste testing blasts of healthy local and
seasonal produce for corner store customers, development of seasonal recipe
pamphlets, creation of an incentive program, and by organizing cooking lessons to be
taught in the community to promote cooking with fresh healthier foods. The Health
Policy Unit assists with the development, distribution, and displaying of healthier choice
options, seasonal recipe pamphlets, incentives for the purchase of healthier options and
advertisements for Healthy Corner Stores project, in the corner stores. They also
provide technical assistance and support the idea of a network where corner store

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

owners can meet regularly and discuss logistics of selling healthier options to customers
to reduce the impact of food deserts in their neighborhoods. Recruitment of additional
corner stores to join the Healthy Corner Stores Network is needed. In addition to
recruitment there is also a need for assistance with program implementation and
promotion. The Health Policy Unit needs to collect data on the program during
implementation for evaluation. This will require communication with store owners and
customers to gage impact and needs of the program. Healthy Corner Stores Project is
being conducted in the hopes of accessing and addressing the issue of food insecurity
and food deserts in Forsyth County.
Forsyth County Department of Public Health (FCDPH): Health Policy Unit
The mission statement of FCDPH is, to prevent disease and promote a healthy
community through regulation, education and partnerships. The Forsyth County Health
Policy Units mission engages in efforts to positively affect behavioral and
environmental change in the areas of womens health, infant mortality, tobacco
awareness and food security. The Health Policy Units Healthy Corner Store project
specifically targets the issue of food insecurity in Forsyth County.
SWOT analysis
In a SWOT analysis performed using organization and study-specific resources,
the strengths of the Health Policy Unit at FCDPH identified for the Healthy Corner Store
project include cooperation of corner stores, resources, and support from partnerships
with local universities. The Healthy Corner Stores Network already has the support of 4
corner stores in Forsyth County. Store owners from each of attend monthly meetings

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

where they provide helpful insight and feedback, agree to post advertisements and
resources for the project in their stores, and allow taste testing at their stores to promote
the project. Storeowners seemed enthusiastic about the plans for taste testing at their
stores in order to promote the Healthy Corner Stores initiative. The Healthy Policy Unit
has resources through the FCDPH to use for the Healthy Corner Stores project.
Advertisements are the most important of those resources used by FCDPH for the
Healthy Corner Stores project. The FCDPH has partnerships with local universities like
UNCG and WSSU, which help provide the health department with assistance via
interns.
These strengths will assist the Health Policy Unit in tackling their weaknesses
that include staffing, corner store storage issues, costs of healthier options for corner
stores, and the selling of those healthier options. The Health Policy Unit is made up of
only 3 individuals and only one is focused on the Healthy Corner Stores project. Lack of
sufficient staffing may limit their reach and impact in Forsyth County with this project.
Healthier options tend to be more expensive and can be harder to sell, which would
result in a loss of profit. Corner store owners also have limited or the complete lack of
storage space for food items needing refrigeration.
An opportunity for improvement with the Healthy Corner Stores might be to
increase their partnership in the community in order to spread awareness of the Healthy
Corner Stores project. Forsyth County has many areas that are deemed food deserts so
this leaves a lot of opportunity for expanding the Healthy Corner Stores network. The
prevalence of food insecurity is also high, which should justify the need and hopefully
increase the support for the project. Corner store owners have agreed to split the

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

purchase of produce from local farmers. This supports both the farmers; the corner
stores, and keeps money within the community.
Threats to the community with regard to the Healthy Corner Stores project
include lack of awareness in Forsyth County of the problem of food insecurity, lack of
knowledge of the benefits of eating a healthy diet with regards to chronic disease
prevention, and the importance of bigger threats to safety and overall welfare in the
community. The targeted population is at risk for many other health problems that may
take precedent over concerns of nutrition.

Strengths

Cooperation of corner stores in Forsyth

County
Office space and equipment for data
collection, data analysis, and the
preparation of tools
Support and partnerships with
universities and local community
organizations

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Prevalence of food deserts in Forsyth

County
Good rapport with community
Connection with local farmer(s)

Number of staff working on

Healthy Corner Stores Project
Refrigerated storage space in
corner stores
Costs of healthier options
Sale of healthier options

Threats

Awareness of food insecurity

in Forsyth County
Knowledge on the benefits of
eating a nutritious diet
Importance in the community
of other issues

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

Ethical Dilemmas
Some ethical dilemmas that may arise throughout the development and implementation
of the Healthy Corner Stores project include the following:

Unintentional lack of cultural sensitivity

Overgeneralization of the needs of corner stores for the purposes of the Healthy
Corner Store project

Unintentional lack of knowledge on the perceived needs related to food and

nutrition among those living in food deserts in Forsyth County

Large portions of the population in Forsyth County that use the corner stores are from
minority groups. These minority groups are mostly made up of either Hispanic or African
American populations. While the Healthy Corner Stores project has resources and tools
available to reach this population (signs present in both English and Spanish, good
communication with at least one Hispanic store owner, access to translators through the
health department), there may also be cultural barriers that are not or will not be
considered based on the fact that there is currently no representative on the project who
is Hispanic. Another ethical issue that may need to be considered is do the goals of the
Healthy Corner Stores project match those of the customers and targeted population.
The Health Policy Unit conducts meetings with store owners in gain further insight into
the community and get feedback on what about the Healthy Corner Stores project is
working and what needs improvement. While an evaluation of the program has not been
established, the Health Policy Unit does have experience with surveys and focus

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

groups. The Healthy Corner Stores project does conduct free taste testings at stores to
promote the sale and consumption of the healthier corner store options.

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

Part 2: Problem Analysis

Conceptual Model

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, which means their dietary needs
and food preferences for an active and healthy life. (The State of Food Insecurity in the
World, 2013). This definition indicates that the problem of food insecurity is
multidimensional and influenced by several factors. In order to decrease the problem of
food insecurity in Forsyth County the FCDPH developed their Healthy Corner Stores
program. This program focuses on the presence of food deserts in Forsyth County.
Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods, rural towns, or communities lacking
access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. These communities are primarily served
by convenience stores or fast-food restaurants due to the lack of grocery stores or
supermarkets in the area. Convenience stores and fast-food restaurants often fail to
offer healthy affordable options. The lack of access to healthy foods contributes to a
poor diet and lead to higher levels of diet-related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and
heart disease. (USDA, 2014). We may not be able to change factors that contribute to
food insecurity in Forsyth County like poverty and low socioeconomic status, but we can
have an impact on other contributing factors for example access and availability of
healthy food options in corner stores.
Figure 1 illustrates some of the contributing factors to food insecurity. In Forsyth
County the role of food deserts exacerbate the problem of food insecurity, which
ultimately leads to health disparities among people living in these communities. The

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socio-ecological model was used to identify the multi-level factors that play a role in
food insecurity outlined in the following section, along with how food deserts significantly
contribute to the problem of food insecurity. Poverty and socioeconomic status (SES) is
a factor that affects food insecurity at every level of the socioecological model.
Figure 1

Intrapersonal Level
Food insecurity at the intrapersonal level would include the individuals
knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about food in general. A formative evaluation for a
Healthy Corner Store Initiative in Pitt County, North Carolina reported on customer
surveys and found that 92% of customers said they would be very to somewhat likely to

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purchase fresh fruits and 79% reported being very to somewhat likely to purchase fresh
vegetables. (Pitts et. al, 2013). This study reported that some customers were willing to
buy fruits and vegetables if they were available while others reported not eating more
fruits and vegetables because they liked to eat other foods more. Another study looked
at intrapersonal factors and found that a barrier to accessing food was related to lack of
motivation and energy to cook. (Radermacher et al, 2010). The study also mentioned
that food preferences and availability affected food choice among different cultural
groups based on ethnic heritage and traditional cuisine. (Radermacher et al, 2010).
Both their social and physical environments often influence individual preference
heavily.
Interpersonal Level
At the interpersonal level food insecurity is affected by factors that relate to how
the individual is influenced by their family, friends, and peers. A study looking to
understand the interactions with the food environment noted that a family group
shopping in a corner store engaged in constant negotiations and compromises over
what products to buy. (Thompson et al., 2013). The child in this family unit kept asking
his mother if she would purchase certain food products. In this situation the mother was
influencing her sons food choices by limiting her purchase to certain items based on a
variety of factors (cost, her taste preferences, perceived needs of son, etc.) that were
out of his control. Our family, friends, colleagues and our environment heavily influence
food choices.
Community Level

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Food insecurity is greatly influenced by ones environment. The 2014 Healthy

Food Resources in North Carolina resource guide reported that one in every five North
Carolinians is food insecure and will not have access to enough food this year. (The
Support Center, 2014). This resource guide also noted that one-third of North
Carolinians living with food insecurity currently earn incomes that are 200 percent above
the poverty level. (The Support Center, 2014). So while poverty and SES are certainly
factors that affect food insecurity they are not the only ones. A large part of the food
insecurity problem is that too many people live in food deserts and cannot access the
healthy foods they need. (The Support Center, 2014). According to the Center of
Disease Control, only 11 of every 100 food retailers have healthy food options available
in their restaurant and store. (CDC, 2014). One study found 6 major community-level
barriers affecting access to fruit and vegetables: cost, transportation, quality, variety,
changing food environment, and changing societal norms. (Haynes-Maslow et al.,
2011). Cost was the most commonly and extensively described barrier to purchasing
fresh fruits and vegetables. (Haynes-Maslow et al, 2011). Food choice is influenced by
price and larger food stores in urban centers are understood to have better food prices.
(Dean & Sharkey, 2011). Transportation was another common barrier especially for
elderly or those who did not own a vehicle. (Haynes-Maslow et al., 2011). Better food
quality is a strong predictor of food choice. A focus group research identified that poor
food quality, including spoiled fruits and vegetables, as a factor that limited food choices
for rural populations. (Dean & Sharkey, 2011). Limited variety at corner stores
decreased participants willingness to shop there, but participants with limited
transportation found it difficult to search for produce elsewhere. (Dean & Sharkey,

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2011). The food environment has changed in the last few decades especially in lowincome neighborhoods. Fast food restaurants are now recognized as being apart of the
current food environment and despite being viewed as unhealthy and linked with
obesity, many participants still purchased it because of its proximity to home and
therefore convenience. (Haynes-Maslow et al., 2011). This study also noted the change
societal norms on foods in the United States: the social shifts of the role of women in
the family, children having more choice, and the overall shift from less emphasis on
cooking and more emphasis on convenience. (Haynes-Maslow et al., 2011). Food
preparation time and convenience of prepared food were both noted barriers to eating
fruits and vegetables.
Community level factors are not limited to the environment including the corner
stores availability of fresh produce; we also must consider public policy. Policy makers
could help by supporting programs like the healthy corner stores initiatives aimed at
addressing the barriers in low-income communities. This could be done by encouraging
grocery stores to locate in these communities, creating incentives for convenience
stores to carry more produce, and restricting the number of fast food restaurants that
locate in these communities. Policy makers can also consider decreasing fruits and
vegetable prices, either through subsidies or vouchers, to address cost barriers.
(Haynes-Maslow et al., 2011). Another issue that could be addressed at the policy level
is the concern for safety from crime in and around corner stores. The CPPW Nashville
corner store initiative noted this as one of the greatest challenge for communities. The
public policy they discussed related to incorporating police department representatives
in strategy development to solve this problem. (Larson et al., 2012). Another challenge

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discussed was the lack of trust between corner store owners and community members.
The development of partnerships between stores and community organizations was
suggested to help sustain the viability and availability of healthful foods in corner stores
by engaging organizations to promote the purchase of certain items. (Larson et al.,
2012).
Changeability Matrix

High Changeability

High
Importance

Low
Importance

Low Changeability

Increased number of Healthy Corner

Stores in network
Awareness of food deserts
Availability of healthy foods
Knowledge about benefits of healthy
foods

Access to healthy food

Poverty/SES
Culture
Healthy food choices
Cost (healthy foods, storage
equipment, etc.)

Quality of produce
Partnerships with community
organizations (i.e. local farmers)

Societal norms
Transportation
Personal taste preferences
Desire to support local
businesses
Variety of produce
(seasonal/prices)

Factors addressed by FCDPH: Health Policy Unit

In connection with the FCDPHs Health Policy Unit mission, the Health Policy
Unit is in the process of developing and implementing their Healthy Corner Stores
project to combat food insecurity in areas of Forsyth County where food deserts are
present. The Healthy Corner Store project is designed to bring healthier options to

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

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convenience type corner stores in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables. So far the
Health Policy Unit has recruited 4 corner stores to be apart of this project. The Health
Policy Unit has planned healthy taste testing at corner stores in order to promote the
sell and purchase of their healthier inventory. Corner store owners have agreed to meet
monthly to discuss the success and possible improvement of the project. The Health
Policy Unit has connected corner store owners with a local farmer in order to support
the process of developing community partnerships. In addition to hosting taste testings
at corner stores and connecting corner stores with a local farmer, the Health Policy Unit
has developed advertising for the Healthy Corner Store project. They have developed
ads for the local newspaper, signs for store owners to put out front, labeling for healthier
options in store, and are in the process of developing a seasonal recipe pamphlet to
distribute to customers. The goal of this project is to increase the access and availability
of healthier food options in food deserts for the purposes of decreasing food insecurity.
Previous Studies

Previous research has been conducted to address the problem of food insecurity
in areas with food deserts. The Food Trust, a nationally recognized nonprofit, developed
the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Stores Network, which is a citywide network of over
600 corner stores committed to the improvement of healthy food access in underserved
communities in Philadelphia. (Food Trust, 2012). This network is part of the Healthy
Corner Store Initiative that works in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health (PDPH) and their Get Healthy Initiative. The Healthy Corner Store
Initiative works to increase the awareness and availability of healthy foods in corner

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stores in Philadelphia. This initiative works through a multifaceted approach that

includes; increasing store capacity to sell and market healthy items in order to improve
healthy options in communities, training and technical assistance to store owners to
provide the skills to make healthy changes profitable, marketing healthy messages to
youth and adults to encourage healthy eating choices, hosting in-store community
nutrition education lessons, educating youth in schools near targeted corner stores to
reinforce healthy messages and provide nutrition education through the Snackin Fresh
program, linking corner store owners to community partners (local farmers and fresh
food suppliers) to create and sustain healthy corner stores. (Food Trust, 2012). The
Healthy Corner Stores Initiative has found that corner store owners are willing to
introduce inventory, but need support and simple steps to follow. Over 480 hours of
training were provided to store owners and 80% of store owners accepted at least one
training session. (Food Trust, 2012). This demonstrates a strong interest in store
owners in learning how to profitably sell healthy products. Corner stores that made
small investments in equipment were able to significantly increase the stores capacity
to sell healthy products. Infrastructural changes such as the addition of refrigeration
units and shelving were completed as a part of the initiative to expand each stores
inventory of healthy products. The average store conversion introduced 44 new healthy
products, about half of which were fresh fruits and vegetables. (Food Trust, 2012).
Another corner store project to mention is part of the Centers for Disease Control
and Preventions Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, aimed to
increase availability of healthful foods in food deserts in Nashville, Tennessee. (Larson
et al., 2012). This project identified 4 food deserts in which most residents were low-

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income and racially and ethnically diverse. Their objective was to develop an approach
that would increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat milk,
and 100% whole-wheat bread in Nashvilles food deserts and to engage the community
members in order to promote the strategy. (Larson et al., 2012). Few stores were able
to stock items in each of these categories. Major barriers were reported relating to the
retailing of healthful options that included; mistrust of store owners, history of poorquality produce, and limited familiarity with healthful options. (Larson et al., 2012). This
study interpreted these results to indicate the importance of engaging community
residents and understanding neighborhood context as a crucial part in the development
of strategies to increase access to healthful foods in corner stores. (Larson et al., 2012).
Outcome Objectives

The objectives of FCDPH Health Policy Units Healthy Corner Stores project are
to decrease food insecurity in Forsyth County in areas where food deserts are
prevalent. The Health Policy Unit plans to implement the Healthy Corner Stores project
with specific aims that include the increasing awareness of healthy food options at
corner stores through advertisements, food tastings, development and distribution of
seasonal recipe pamphlets, increasing availability of healthy options through
partnerships with local farmers, increasing the programs reach by recruiting additional
corner stores to become part of the Healthy Corner Stores network, increasing
customer participation by incorporating an incentives plan, and providing store owners
with support (for example tips for purchasing storage, advertising for healthier options,
and connecting store owners with potential community partners).

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I hope to learn more about the impact of food insecurity and food deserts in
Forsyth County by assisting in the implementation of the Healthy Corner Stores project.
I will promote the program through conducting taste testing of healthy food options sold
at corner stores, development of seasonal healthy recipe pamphlets, recruitment of
additional corner stores, provide support to store owners, and the creation of incentive
program to promote the sell of healthy food options sold at corner stores. These tasks
will allow me to access the success and needs of the Healthy Corner Stores project in
the hopes of improving the program and problem of food insecurity in areas with food
deserts.

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Part 3: Internship Plan

The focus of this internship will be program implementation of the FCDPH Health
Policy Units Healthy Corner Store project. This project was designed to decrease the
problem of food insecurity in Forsyth County among areas that are affected the most
and deemed food deserts. Implementation of this program will involve several tasks
including; developing a seasonal recipe pamphlet, hosting taste testing blasts,
organizing meetings with corner store owners, assisting with the development of an
incentive program, and organizing cooking lessons. This internship will also include a
recruitment component and an evaluation component. Recruiting 2 additional corner
stores to join the Healthy Corner Store Network is one of the goals of the internship.
The evaluation piece will involve distributing surveys at Healthy Corner Stores during
taste testings, cooking lessons, and other events in order to access the success of this
program. While this will involve compiling data from surveys, data analysis will not be
part of the responsibilities of this internship. Figure 2 below shows a detailed outline of
the resources needed, activities and outcomes of the Healthy Corner Store Project.

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Figure 2
Logic Model

INPUTS/
RESOURCES

Working with
corner store
owners in Forsyth
County
FCDPH staff
Transportation
Telephones
Healthy Corner
Store
advertisements
(i.e. healthier
option signs)
Computer
Printer
Foods for taste
testing
Cooking tools for
food preparation
Marketing
supplies

ACTIVITIES

Developing
seasonal recipe
pamphlets &
incentive program
(punch card)
Hosting taste
testing blasts at
Healthy Corner
Stores
Data collection &
analysis on
communitys level
of exposure to
program
campaign
Organizing
meetings with
corner store
owners
Organizing
cooking lessons
Recruiting 2
additional corner
stores to join
Healthy Corner
Store Network
Evaluation of
program
(developing,
distributing &
compiling

OUTPUTS

Data from
observations of
interactions at
corner stores;
taste testing
blasts, cooking
lessons, etc.
Feedback from
corner store
owners on
success of
healthy corner
store program
Increased
marketing about
healthy options at
corner stores
Program
development
Implement
Healthy Corner
Stores program

OUTCOMES/
IMPACT

Short-term
Outcomes

Increased
promotion
Healthy
Corner Stores
program

Increased
awareness of
healthier
options at
corner stores
Recruit 2
additional
corner stores

Evaluate
program
success
through
collection &
interpretation
of surveys

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

surveys at taste
testing, cooking
classes, corner
stores, etc.)

21

Long-term
Outcomes

Improve
Healthy
Corner Store
program to
reduce food
insecurity in
Forsyth
County food
deserts

Data Collection & Program Implementation

This is the second year the FCDPH has implemented the Healthy Corner Stores
Project. In order to implement the program there are a variety of activities they have
designed to use as tools. The activities that will be executed from January to April of
next year include; developing a seasonal recipe pamphlet for corner store owners that
they can make available to customers in order to promote healthier options, hosting
taste testing blasts at corner stores to endorse the program, organize meetings with
corner store owners to gather feedback and provide technical support for the program,
develop an incentive program in order to encourage customers to buy healthy corner
store items, and to organize cooking lessons in the community to sponsor the program
and stimulate the sale of healthier options at corner stores. Many of these activities will
allow for qualitative data collection based on observations of customers participation in
the activities/events and feedback from meetings with corner store owners. The
implementation of the program will also involve recruitment.

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Recruitment
Forsyth County has many areas that are classified as food deserts. These food
deserts lack grocery stores or supermarkets therefore residents must either travel
outside of their neighborhood in order to purchase food items or buy food from local
fast-food restaurants or corner stores. The corner stores typically contain very little if
any fresh fruits and vegetables. The Healthy Corner Stores Project developed by
FCDPH hopes to recruit 2 additional corner stores to join the network. This will involve
going into corner stores and talking to owners about the project. Corner store owners
who are interested will receive a letter with additional information about the program and
what they must do in order to be apart of the program. The more stores that join the
network, the greater the reach and impact the Healthy Corner Stores Project can have
on food insecurity in Forsyth County.
Evaluation

In order to gather information about the success of the program within the
community, data will be collected and compiled from surveys given during taste
testings, cooking lessons, and at Healthy Corner Stores. Qualitative data will be
accessed through site visits and feedback from storeowners during meetings about
Healthy Corner Store Project. The data collected from observations and surveys will be
prepared for evaluation of the program.

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Internship activities will commence the week of January 5, 2015 and end during
the week of April 20, 2015. Figure 3 shows a breakdown of the activities that will be
completed during the internship and a prediction of the timeline.
Figure 3
Project Timeline

Internship Activities

Jan.
2014

Feb.
2014

Data Collection Developing seasonal recipe

& Program
pamphlets for Healthy Corner Stores
Implementation to distribute
Part 1
Assisting with Health Policy Units
development of small business
classes to support Healthy Corner
Stores Project (preparing,
organizing, & attending owners
meetings)

Taste testing blast at Healthy Corner

Stores
Data Collection
& Program
Implementation
Part 2

Mar.
2014

Assisting with the development of an

incentive program for Healthy Corner
Store Owners to provide to their
customers (punch cards)

Cooking Lessons (find locations,

promote lessons, host event or find
chef to host)
Recruitment

Recruiting 2 additional corner stores

to join the Healthy Corner Stores
Network

Evaluation

Evaluation of Healthy Corner Stores

Program (compiling data from
surveys distributed at events- taste
testings, cooking classes, etc.)

Resources

April
2014

Forsyth County Department of Public Health: Health Policy Unit

1. Feeding America. (2014). Hunger Statistics, Hunger Facts & Poverty Facts.
Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-inamerica/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.aspx.
2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2014). World
hunger falls, but 805 million still chronically undernourished. Retrieved October
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