Camp FRESH

In 2007, 37 youth from five urban neighborhoods in Wilmington, Del., enrolled in Camp FRESH at the ChristianaCare Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute and learned how to become advocates for improving the health environment within their communities. They surveyed more than 400 Wilmington residents to discover what affects their decisions to eat healthy and be physically active. The Camp FRESH teens also went into 24 Wilmington corner groceries, small stores, local markets, and supermarkets to take a brief inventory of what healthy items were available and how much these items cost. 

They verified that a lack of access to nutritious foods was a serious obstacle to healthy eating habits in their communities, and they urged local store owners to stock more fresh fruits and vegetables. Since that first summer, and based on the results of their surveying efforts, more than 300 Camp FRESH youth have assisted in the creation of two community gardens, at Howard High School and the Wilmington Urban Farm. Youth have also run produce stands in various locations around downtown Wilmington.