Short answer: Map what the community already has with the people who live there: stores, clinics, schools, transit, leaders and events. Mark what works, what needs help and what is missing. The gaps and the trusted places show you where to stop.
A community asset map shows a neighborhood's resources in one view. Building it with residents matters as much as the map itself. It builds trust and shows you the barriers you cannot see from a spreadsheet.
What a map can do for you
Show where to expand into new neighborhoods.
Show which resources people use, avoid or lack, and why.
Reveal host partners and connections between groups.
Give you evidence for funders and policy makers.
Steps
Write guiding questions. Where do residents buy healthy food? How do they get there? When is it open? What stops them? Add one "magic wand" question: what would make everyone here healthier?
Set the scope. Pick clear boundaries, like zip codes or neighborhoods. List who should take part so every group is represented.
Define the data. People, buildings, services, businesses and regular events. For each, capture name, address, hours, contact, accessibility and payment types.
Choose how to collect it. Face to face conversations build the most trust. Short surveys at the point of sale work too. Use reports and research only to fill gaps.
Make a schedule. Assign who does what by when. Set a few milestones.
Check the size. Scale the plan up or down to fit your time and team.
Map together. Meet in a library or community center. Use a printed map with stickers, sticky notes or a whiteboard mind map. Take photos before anything moves.
Build the digital map. Google My Maps is free and easy. Color code: green for meets the need, yellow for needs work, red for missing.
Share and update it. Embed it on your site and refresh it with the community each season.
With the Farmers' Truck Map: Layer your asset map with the food access data on the Farmers' Truck Map. A trusted host inside a low access tract is your strongest stop.
Sources: Farmers' Market Association of New Mexico, Find a Market · Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Lancaster County Hunger Mapping · Community Science
