Alison Jensen
MPH ’16, Health Management and Policy
Roughly 48 million Americans, fully 14% of all households, lack access to healthy, affordable food. At the root of this problem is a landscape of unreliable transportation. CARt coordinates rides for low-income, low-vehicle access individuals to get to and from supermarkets, which are stocked with healthy, affordable food. We use existing rideshare infrastructure to coordinate these rides. Providing convenient, affordable, reliable transportation has benefits for supermarkets and rideshare companies, in increased customer base, as well as implications for society. The end users have increased access to healthier foods. By purchasing and consuming healthier foods, the burden of chronic disease will decline.
In May, we ran a month-long pilot with the Eight Mile Meijer in Detroit, where we were able to validate the needs of our customers. To attract customers, we partnered with MOSES, a faith-based organization with a large network in Detroit. We also collaborated with other community organizations, supermarkets, rideshare organizations and other stakeholders. The University of Michigan Library will be a great addition to our team.
Library Mentor: Pam MacKintosh