Stars Within Reach transforms vacant lot | South Philly Review

Several local organizations and politicians chipped in Saturday to transform a vacant lot into a healthier food source for Point Breeze residents.

By Alexis Abate

Posted Jun. 9, 2011

Grays Ferry’s Tyesha Barnes, right, an employee at the South Philly Walmart rakes freshly cut grass and weeds at a vacant lot on Point Breeze Avenue last weekend as Krista Still, of the Boothwyn store, helps to bag.

Photo by Amanda L. Snyder

Weed-whacking a foot of grass and raking the remains were just the first steps to creating more aesthetically pleasing vacant lots along the 1600 block of Point Breeze Avenue. More than 20 volunteers including a half dozen Walmart employees from two locations, 1675 S. Columbus Blvd., and the Boothwyn site, along with state Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, among others, gathered for five hours Saturday afternoon ready to work. This community cleanup was Phase II of the nonprofit Stars Within Reach’s \”A Healthy Future Within Reach\” initiative to provide low-income households with healthier food options. The campaign began a month ago to promote healthy eating habits and a change in overall lifestyle in children and adults alike, Nichole Badger, Stars’ founder and president, said. \”We want to help raise awareness about childhood obesity and its long-term health effects in lower-income areas,\” she said.

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