Little Bud Thorbs Economic Development Association

ORGANIZATION PURPOSELittle Bud Thorbs Economic Development Association for Minorities in Sports and Human Enrichment (LBT) has been working tirelessly in Lenoir and surrounding counties, promoting healthy eating, physical activity, wellness and disease prevention among poverty stricken families. Partnering with The UNC Chapel Hill Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Resourceful Communities, and YES!(Youth Empowerment Solutions) we have been able to focus on food access in low-income communities in Lenoir County. Under this program we were able to establish three health initiatives: 1-Little Bud Thorbs & Hattie's Mae's Community Garden in the rural part of Grifton, NC. This 3 acres of garden has produced many vegetables to date, which have gone to SNAP recipients. The community has participated in the garden, which served as a teaching mechanism and community space for low income families in the rural area of Grifton, NC. 2-Farmers Market Tour, SNAP recipients were invited to tour the farmers market to learn about healthier food that they could purchase with SNAP. LBT was able to partnership with Lenoir Community College Culinary Department to teach healthier cooking to the SNAP recipients during the market tour visit. 3-Healthily Corner Store, LBT worked with UNC Corner Store representatives Brett Sheppard and Meg Duff to introduce healthy food items to store owners to sell to the public. Two stores that are based in Lenoir County were chosen: Kings Food Store and Red Apple Convenience Store, both are located in low disadvantage families' neighborhoods. Based on data collected, the program is going well. LBT youth participants were giving a grant by YES! to continue the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. LBT also has an After-School at Risk Feeding Program for disadvantage youth in Lenoir County, ages 5-18, to have a snack and hot nutritious meal between the hours of 2:30pm till 6:00pm seven day a week for ten months. The program is very important to the youth, where some youth do not eat another hot nutritious meal until next day at school. LBT also focus on physical activity in the community. LBT baseball and softball sport program introduce youth ages 2-18 to baseball and softball. This program is affiliated with the Major League RBI program where disadvantage youth are introduced to baseball and softball and the Cal Ripken Healthy Eating, Healthy Choice curriculum program where youth learns about healthy eating habits and making right life skills choices as they face peer pressure. Both programs offer physical activities where youth use their body to keep fit