(lighthearted music)
- My name is Shanae.
I've always lived in Southeast San Diego.
Lemon Grove is a small
city within San Diego.
We only have a couple of shopping
centers that has produce.
Back when I was younger,
I think I wouldn't even knew
what to do with fresh produce
if I had it in front of me
or where to get it from.
I basically was on my own at 17
'cause my mom moved to
Virginia at the time.
Kids my age still lived at
home with their parents.
So everything was there for them.
Me, I had to figure out
everything and it was rough.
Back in the day if I woulda walked
into a local store with $10,
I woulda walked out with a
whole bunch of junk food.
Buying junk food stretched
my dollar so much
because I could get a
whole meal in a ramen.
I wasn't thinking about
my health, I'm young.
I wasn't planning for the future.
I ended up getting pregnant at 19
and that's when everything
just shifted even further
to being harder.
I wasn't able to get any
kind of health insurance
before I had my child.
And I wasn't qualified
for food stamps either.
I was hungry, honestly.
I had to distract myself
because if I ate something now,
I knew I wouldn't have
anything for lunch or dinner.
I think things are better for me now
is because I got
knowledge from my midwife.
She said I needed to eat
more fruits and vegetables.
So I joined WIC.
She was able to help me with
getting more food stamps.
So much has changed in the
time of being a single mother.
Now I'm married, have
three beautiful kids.
Food is better accessible to me now
because my Lemon Grove community garden
and also my Lemon Grove farmer's market.
My kids are more likely to eat produce
from the farmer's market
and the community garden
than they would from the produce store.
It tastes better and they're healthier.
We know where they come from.
Now with having more access
to fruits and vegetables
that are organic, I try a
range of different recipes.
Having access to the community garden
and the farmers market, the
fresh foods that they sell
is worth wonders.
Not just for my family but
also for the community.
