October 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 18

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Equity and Health: A Community-Driven
Venture in Tukwila, Washington
By Tiffany Johnson
T
he land that currently makes up the City of Tukwila in Washington
State always has been a crossroad of activity. The city lies at
the junction of two interstates and the state's primary airport.
The earliest people in Tukwila were the Duwamish, who
made their homes along the Black and Duwamish Rivers that meander
through the city.
The name " Tukwila " is the Chinook
word for " nut " or " hazelnut, "
referring to the hazelnut trees
that grew in the area. The Duwamish
lived in cedar longhouses, hunted
and fished, picked wild berries,
and used the river for trade with
neighboring peoples.
The City of Seattle takes its
namesake from the Duwamish
leader - Chief Seattle.
For a city with such historical
and cultural significance, and at
one time having been a breadbasket
of rich and nutritious foods,
challenges both in
accessing nutritional
activity and
foods now
abound for its residents. But with
challenges come opportunities.
Seeing the opportunity to partner
with the local community, City
of Tukwila Parks and Recreation
applied for and is a recipient of the
NRPA Parks as Community Wellness
Hubs grant, which is supported
by the Walmart Foundation.
While residents of the City of
Tukwila suffer greatly from low
health outcomes and lack of access
to healthy foods, we know that there
are strengths within the community.
First, there is investment in this
community outside of city services.
One of our project partners,
Global to Local, is based here and
has a vested interest. Not only
does this organization support
interventions to improve health,
lower the cost of care and empower
underserved communities, but
also it has an asset in its Food Innovation
Network program.
The Food Innovation Network
operates a food business incubator
- Spice Bridge - supporting aspiring
entrepreneurs from Tukwila who
primarily come from low-income
immigrant and refugee communities.
The 2,800-square-foot facility includes
a commercial kitchen with
four cook stations, four retail food
stalls and a dining area. Eight food
vendors rotate through the food
hall stalls, offering culinary experiences
that reflect the diversity of
our community.
In addition to helping to create
economic security
for business
Seeing the opportunity
to partner with the
local community, City
of Tukwila Parks and
Recreation applied
and is a recipient of
the NRPA Parks as
Community Wellness
Hubs grant, which
is supported by the
Walmart Foundation.
18 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
owners and their families, Spice
Bridge helps build food security
in our community. The space supports
the Tukwila Village Farmers
Market, which makes fresh, local
produce affordable and accessible
for community members.
With partnerships beginning
to take hold, the most important
ones still to be strengthened and
further developed are with community
members themselves. For
example, Tukwila has one of the
most diverse school districts in
the nation. Its students speak 80
different languages at home; 70
percent are learning English in
school. Students speak Somalian,
Burmese, Bosnian and Viet
October 2022 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022 - Parks & Recreation
