Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars Event
Participants ‘bowling’ (filling Good Bowls) with Country Mac and Cheese
The Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill brings together a group of 10 faculty from multiple departments across UNC’s campus over a two-year period. Thorp Scholars participate in a variety of experience-based community events with the goal of engaging in scholarship and meeting colleagues from other disciplines to enhance their own engaged scholarship projects. Each semester scholars participate in activities that include travel for field visits and all-day workshops to learn about ongoing projects and meet with community partners.
Alice Ammerman presenting to the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars
On Nov. 17, 2023, Good Bowls founder and Director of UNC’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Dr. Alice Ammerman, hosted Class IX of the Thorp program. Good Bowls focuses on nutrition, the local food system, and food insecurity. So, for the fall semester program Alice scheduled time at CORA, the local food pantry, to participate in a food distribution and later took the group to one of Good Bowls’ production kitchens, 39 West, where Good Bowls produces many of the meals used for the Medicaid Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP).
During their time at 39 West, participants packed, sealed, and labeled bowls of Country Mac and Cheese while learning about the many ways that the HOP program benefits the community. On the front end, money is being invested into the community by buying ingredients from local farms and employing local cooks to make the meals. Next, the healthy meals are distributed to high-needs Medicaid enrollees in North Carolina. As the program continues to grow, it will not only strengthen the local food economy, but also help provide healthy meals to those that need them.
After they finished ‘bowling’ meals, participants enjoyed a lunch that included a batch of Country Mac and Cheese (40% fruits and vegetables by weight) they had just packed. In the afternoon, scholars heard from the Good Bowls Healthy Opportunities Pilot Program Director, Kristin Bulpitt. They also heard from the non-profit Chatham Alliance members Bobbie and Jose Morel about how their new organization is working to provide healthy meals to county residents through a number of channels. Carrie Alspaugh and Edie Allen described the Heat and Eat Partnership. Later, Alice spoke about the growth and future of Good Bowls as it continues to expand into more meal programs, retail locations, and worksites across the state.
Carrie Alspaugh and Edie Allen from the UNC ACT Team bowling some Country Mac
After an event-filled day, scholars were not only full from some delicious food, but were also excited to see how public policy and public health initiatives are playing out in the local community. Community partners were able to share all the hard work they’ve been doing in the food space recently and also to connect to faculty members and potential future partners.
