Food and culture meet at Maryland nonprofit serving African immigrant communities

Every Friday morning, in an Aspen Hill, Maryland, parking lot, a long line forms as staff and volunteers with AfriThrive provide locally grown, fresh food to people who struggle to afford groceries. Related stories ‘We pack a lot into a little’: Mott’s Market grand reopening warms up Capitol Hill Your next DC food delivery could arrive via a WALL-E like robot Local chefs work to bring the DC area together, one pop-up at a time Lots of nonprofits have food distribution programs, but what sets AfriThrive apart is the priority of providing culturally-appropriate foods to the population it serves: low-income African immigrants. Charles Choti, founder and director of community engagement and partnerships at AfriThrive, said that for many of the African residents in the D.C.

region, finding familiar foods can be a challenge. AfriThrive includes a food-production program, where produce is grown locally on a two-acre space in Poolesville and at community gardens in Montgomery County. The self-sustaining approach, Choti said, answered the question the founders had in creating the program: “If this food can be grown in America, why can’t we do so?” The mobile pantry program makes it easier for recipients to access foods they’re familiar with.

“We promote healthy eating, where people consume not only the food they are familiar with, but the food that really benefits their body,” Choti said. Peaches, corn, cabbage and beets are available at the weekly distributions. But some of the biggest draws are vegetables that are staples in dishes from many African countries.

Stephen Omboga, food operations coordinator at AfriThrive, ticked off a few of the most popular greens on a folding table: managu, saga, and callaloo. All are leafy green vegetables gathered in bunches. Omboga called the offerings “food that is tailored for your culture.” Every Friday morning, in an Aspen Hill, Maryland, parking lot, a long line forms as the staff and volunteers with AfriThrive provide locally grown, fresh food for people who struggle to afford groceries.

(WTOP/Kate Ryan) In June, AfriThrive began creating its Food as Medicine program. Oluwasefunmi “Seph” Obielodan coordinates the outreach effort, which will link 80 prescreened participants with clinicians and food providers to address diet-related health issues. She said many similar programs aimed at immigrant communities often see high dr…