Photo Credit: TCA Health, Inc. NFP/Facebook
On Thursday (Nov. 7), TCA Health broke ground on a new Nutrition and Wellness Center in the Altgeld Gardens/Riverdale community.
The nearly 10,000-square-foot multifunctional building will be connected to TCA’s main health facility at 1029 East 130th Street. This new center aims to tackle the persistent food desert in the area, where residents have struggled to access fresh, healthy foods since the closure of their only full-service grocery store in 2018.
Community leaders gathered to highlight the profound impact this initiative will have on health equity in the area. Among those who spoke were State Representative Thaddeus Jones, Senator Napoleon B. Harris III, Alderman Peter Chico, Sharyl Trail, Regional Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and TCA Health Board Chairman Randall Caldwell.
Each emphasized the critical importance of investing in health equity and ensuring that every resident has access to the nutritious food they deserve.
Chicago’s health disparities are stark, with life expectancy varying greatly depending on the neighborhood, partly due to limited access to nutritious food. Veronica Clarke, TCA Health’s CEO and a former nutritionist and dietician, understands this challenge firsthand. “You can’t address health issues without addressing the food desert,” Clarke explained at the event. “This isn’t an answer to a grocery store, but it’s our contribution.”
The center will feature a Client Choice Food Pantry, a teaching kitchen, a grab-and-go café, a yoga and meditation space, and community meeting areas, all designed to support holistic wellness. Clarke highlighted the significance of these features: “Not having access to healthy food choices even affects our staff. If they don’t bring lunch with them daily, they have no place to go for food, and many of our staff don’t drive. That’s why the grab-and-go café will be such a welcomed addition to the community.”
Founded in 1970, TCA Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing quality healthcare to Chicago’s underserved communities. Serving over 10,000 patients annually, TCA Health is committed to bridging the gap between healthcare and nutrition. Clarke believes this new center will be instrumental in fostering a healthier community on the city’s far South Side.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the future site of the Nutrition and Wellness Center, marking the start of an essential resource for Altgeld Gardens and the Riverdale community.
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