“You are what you eat.” But in Baltimore there are many people, young and old, who do not have reasonable access to healthy food. Their only meal options are chicken boxes; deep fried chicken and french fries, soda, potato chips, candy. For long-term health that isn’t a sustainable diet. As we continue our conversations about crime and education here in Baltimore, let’s not forget to look at the basic human needs and the programs working to meet them.
T.J. Smith is a retired police commander, former chief spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, former press secretary for the Baltimore County Executive, and a former Baltimore City mayoral candidate. More recently, Smith partnered with Jimmy’s Famous Fund where he assisted in raising more than $600,000 over the past year that was donated to small restaurants in Baltimore, children for a holiday experience, and the families of a police officer and firefighters killed in the line of duty. In addition to hosting the 2Bmore Podcast, Smith consults on government, leadership, and law enforcement issues. He is also a frequent guest on a national news outlet and TV One network programming.
TJ Smith- Facebook: @TJSmithSocial [facebook.com],
Twitter: @TJSmithSocial [twitter.com]
Michelle Suazo is co-founder of U Empower of Maryland, a non-profit focused on strengthening communities by building relationships and bridging resources to people and organizations. She is the Executive Director of the flagship program, The Food Project, bringing cooking, farming, restaurant skills, job opportunities, sustainable food sources, mentorship & hope to the youth of South West Baltimore. She is excited to be working with Johns Hopkins, as a Community Scholar, in the pursuit of evaluating and formulating real solutions for underserved communities.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesuazo/ [linkedin.com]
https://uempowerofmd.org/the-food-project [uempowerofmd.org]
https://www.seedynutty.com/index.html [seedynutty.com]
Marvin "Doc" L. Cheatham Sr. is the president of the Matthew Henson Neighborhood Association, as well as CEO of the non-profit Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation. He is the former president of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP and the founder of the Maryland Voting Rights Restoration Coalition.
