When is an avocado not simply an avocado? An avocado is more than an avocado when there is a mission behind the avocado. When there is a desire to meet a need that exists within your own community. This may sound melodramatic, but this is the premise behind , “Ask for an Avocado”. “Ask for an Avocado” is the campaign launched by Lawrence Abbott to help bring fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods that would not normally have these goods readily available to them.
Now, as you may know, I’m always willing to jump a soap box for some cause, but this is not just any cause. Having healthy food accessible is something that I take very seriously. Unfortunately, for many Americans across the country black, white, yellow, red, brown, poor and middle class, having fresh fruits and vegetables is more a privilege than a right. Yes, to be overly simplistic, these products tend to be more expensive, take more time to prepare, and perish a lot quicker than packaged food, so the consumer may choose not to purchase them. My issue, and Lawerence’s issue, is that in many neighborhoods, these foods are simply not there, and the people are not given the right to make the decision for themselves.
If there is no grocery store with a fresh foods section in the area (sometimes there isn’t), their only choice is what the local corner store decides it will carry. This choice is often the goods with the longest shelf life; chips, sodas, and canned produce often filled to the brim with sugar or salt. For the store-owners, this may be an economically sound decision, but this decision is made at a high cost to the people. Ironically, the patrons of the stores are the people who are already at high risk for diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases. A nail in the coffin? Not, if you help do something about it.
In following the “Ask for an Avocado” protocol, just go to your local corner store or bodega and ask for an avocado. If they have one: purchase it and then go to askforanavacado.com to check out some cool things to do with your green gold. If they don’t: Simply walk out. Don’t engage in conversation with the clerk; just leave (still visit askforanavocado.com). If enough people do this, the store clerks will take notice, and begin to supply the fruit. And from there… who knows – maybe fresh produce available in every neighborhood.
So this Thanksgiving, go to your local or not so local corner store and “Ask for an Avocado”. This will ensure that a cornucopia of food will be available for your neighbors and neighbors’ neighbors to enjoy in the future.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Stephanie
Remember, change happens one day at a time, one action at a time, one avocado at a time, so when you get a chance go by askforanavocado.com.
