Asha Walker

Background

About Asha Walker

Asha Walker is the CEO and founder of Health in the Hood, a non-profit organization that transforms vacant lots in food desert neighborhoods into vibrant vegetable gardens. Through sustainable urban farming, Health in the Hood creates local food ecosystems, connecting people to real food in their communities. Health in the Hood urban gardens serve as living classrooms where children and families enjoy free, healthy foods and nutrition & fitness workshops. Asha brings her high energy and expertise in community engagement, urban gardening and & wellness to Health in the Hood. She began Health in the Hood, following in her father’s community gardening foot-steps, as an answer to the call for fresh vegetables in food deserts across South Florida. After graduating from Florida International University, Asha began her career as an Americorps Director of Public Allies Miami. As a Public Allies Director she matched young, service-minded individuals with community organizations for apprenticeships. She drove core values, facilitated leadership and professional development workshops, created program content, wrote and managed grants and budgets and evaluated program quality and effectiveness. Asha also served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Women of Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that matches at-risk high school girls with professional women for long-term mentorships. For Asha, growing vegetables in food deserts creates connections to food choices and makes healthy eating attainable and exciting. She believes that by building community gardens and providing health education in low-income neighborhoods, Health in the Hood is putting children on the path to healthy futures, preventing disease, giving parents helpful information and creating environments that support healthy choices.