Since 2015, Anga Sanders has done her part in feeding Oak Cliff.
Literally, she created a nonprofit committed to it, Feed Oak Cliff, which is a group of neighborhood activists that gathered together to bring healthier grocery stores to the food deserts south of Interstate 30 in Dallas.
“I thought to disrupt the misperceptions of Oak Cliff, as well as to provide some education for the community, would be by having a festival. There’s a significant misperception of who lives in this area,” she said.
The Dallas VegFest came about the same way, as a free festival promoting nutrition, health and environment to the Oak Cliff community. The one-time intended event has continued to serve residents and visitors from all over the city, state and nation as a resource for education when it comes to healthy foods and healthy living.
“I thought if we could do an event that would be helpful to the community, to show them that there are other options other than drive thru restaurants and fast food and chips, that it will serve a two fold purpose. It would also help dispel the notion that all we want to eat in southern Dallas is fried chicken.”
It’s not just assumptions that individuals are making about Oak Cliff, but there is data behind it.
The result of being in a food desert has led to Oak Cliff having “the most unhealthy zip codes in the state of Texas,” she said.
Sanders said the Dallas County Health Needs Assessment shows that there is a direct correlation to the neighborhood and high rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
“One of the many problems with food deserts is the impact that it has on health, and often in those areas, there are people who don’t have the wherewithal, whether it’s transportation or money, to go someplace else, to drive miles, to buy something that is going to be better for them,” she said.
Through Dallas VegFest 2025, Sanders will be giving away hundreds and hundreds of pounds of fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables to attendees to make healthy food in the food desert more accessible.
Sanders said she also worries that access to fresh food will even become more difficult, and so this year’s festival will take a more holistic approach.
Some of the scientific and medical resources that her organizations used to use are gone because of the changes coming to health and human services at the federal level.
“We can’t count on that anymore,” she said. “So we have a Certified Master Herbalist this year who is going to do a class on how you can use various herbs to help your health conditions. We are not telling anybody not to go to the doctor, certainly not that. You know, that’s your personal decision. But there are things that have existed in nature, basically since the beginning of time, that affect your health.”
The herbalist class is just one of the many features. Other classes include a fitness class and chair yoga as well.
“It’s always a busy day,” Sanders said. “We hope everybody will come out and partake of everything.”
The Dallas VegFest will take place Sept. 21 at the Kiest Park Recreation Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Kiest Park Recreation Center is located at 3081 South Hampton Road.
