SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — In an effort to help provide nutritious food to those who might otherwise go hungry, one Seminole County mayor is working to bring edible plants to some area parks.   

Most Tuesdays the Apostolic Church of Jesus in Oviedo hands out boxes of food, which is a life line for some in the community who need food assistance.     

“We survive, but this is a great big help to us,” said area resident Mary Bell, as she picked up a few boxes.

The church usually gives away 50 to 60 boxes of food a week.   

And now Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek is working to bring some more nutritious food options to the nearby park.  

“A lot of kids who may need food assistance — they get canned noodles, they get prepackaged food, but they don’t get vegetables or fruits,” said Sladek. 

It’s part of a $50,000 prize from the United States Conference of Mayors to Oviedo for a sustainability idea.       

A big part of it is to add edible plants to parks in “food deserts.” 

It would give families the chance to include healthier food ingredients at the dinner table.   

“I think this might be a really good choice for our parks,” said Sladek. 

Sladek already has some of the edible plants in her own yard. 

“And they’re delicious,” she said. 

The plants would go into marked areas in parks, like Round Tree Park, where the church hands out food.    

“I think it would be very transformational for our community,” said Sladek. 

Another part of plan is to use the edible plants as a learning tool for children and parents — teaching them how to identify wild and edible plants. 

“It could be a really neat learning center and everyone would know — everything in here, if you happen to eat it, event though it may not look edible — it’s safe to eat,” said Sladek. 

Sladek said she hopes this is the first step in Oviedo’s goal to become more sustainable in the future. 

No word yet on when the project will begin.