The Apple Pushers, a documentary that tells the inspiring stories of immigrant street cart vendors who sell fruits and vegetables in the “food deserts” of New York City, was screened at The Sanctuary for Independent Media on Thursday, May 3, 2012. The film was followed by a panel discussion. Here, members of the panel and audience have a conversation on the lost art of cooking, and how this effects the health and welfare of our society. Panelists included: Eric Krans is the program manager of Capital District Community Gardens' Healthy Places Program, dedicated to making healthy fruits and vegetables more available to those in lower income, inner-city neighborhoods. Michael Seserman, author of the recent study "Looking for an Oasis in a Food Desert: Low Income New Yorkers Lack Access to Healthy Food," is the director of Strategic Health Alliances for the American Cancer Society. Rossana Coto-Batres volunteers in many capacities with refugees in the Capital Region through the Albany Field Office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Originally from Guatemala, Rossana has led nutrition classes for refugees from many countries, and is pursuing a dual MPH/MSW degree at SUNY Albany. Through the lens of their powerful and deeply personal stories, "the Apple Pushers" examines such hot-button issues as food access, the obesity crisis, immigration, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to achieve the American dream. The film is inspired by the NYC Green Cart Initiative, which aims to increase the availability of fresh produce in city neighborhoods by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to set up micro-businesses. Launched in 2008, the program has become a national model – using mobile vending to reach communities where rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity are skyrocketing. A unique free-enterprise strategy, this program has launched more than 500 vendors. Catalyzed by the film, other cities are exploring and launching their own mobile-based solutions to bring economic opportunity and fresh produce to communities in need.
SanctuaryTV features original content produced at The Sanctuary For Independent Media, a community media arts center located in an historic converted church in Troy, NY. You can expect great music, compelling speakers, awesome workshops and much, much more on SanctuaryTV!
