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Food insecurity linked to gun violence. In St. Louis, Black farmers work on a solution

Hurubie Meko

June 27, 2021 |

The Kansas City Star |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Black, urban farmers have formed a grassroots "ecosystem" to grow and distribute fresh, affordable produce in St. Louis neighborhoods where food insecurity and gun violence go hand in hand. Heru Urban Farming is a startup businesses and CSA growing vegetables in vacant lots that it then sells by subscription and gives away to families in need. Along with a new farmers market and a mobile produce vendor, the "food justice" activists and entrepreneurs are meeting a nutritional need where quality supermarkets don't exist and corner stores typically sell packaged, processed foods.

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'Take what you need—leave what you can' — Stark Co. woman sets up anonymous food pantries for those in need

Courtney Gousman

June 17, 2021 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Stark County, Ohio

“Take what you need—leave what you can" is the motto etched on the 16 anonymous “Blessing Boxes” set up around Stark County. The wooden cabinets are stocked with non-perishable food, household items, and personal hygiene items. People can access the boxes whenever they need to and can take as much as they would like. The boxes are made and re-stocked several times a week by volunteers. One of the boxes sits outside a local elementary school, not only provided needed supplies to students and their families, but students have also taken responsibility for helping to keep it filled.

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New grocery store reflects Cornerstone church's belief that 'South Dallas deserves beautiful things'

Sujata Dand

June 16, 2021 |

Dallas Free Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

The new Southpoint Community Market in Dallas is the product of seven years of planning in a process based on community input about the need for accessible, nutritious, affordable food and other everyday groceries. Anchoring what once was a run-down shopping center, the new grocery and coffee bar is supported by Cornerstone Community Enterprises, a nearby church's philanthropic arm, and the Real Estate Council Foundation, which will cover the store's financial losses until it is self-sustaining. The store is part of a larger effort to provide for a healthier neighborhood.

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Philly Families Are Taking Charge of Their Own Food Security

Emily Nonko

June 15, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In 2014, the community organization Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha piloted a community-based Food Buying Club in Philadelphia. This initiative allowed local residents to buy food in bulk at wholesale prices. The goal was to strengthen food security and combat the lack of affordable and nutritious food in their neighborhood. Despite distributing over 62,000 pounds of fresh produce, the program shut down due to financial reasons. Now, after forming an advisory council and working on their business strategy with others in the community, the club is reopening and is looking to expand across the city.

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Federal program that helps farmers during the pandemic is changing the local food landscape

Kate Bradshaw

June 13, 2021 |

The Almanac |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The Farmers to Family program, an initiative from the U.S Department of Agriculture set aside $3 billion for its Farmers to Families Food Box program, part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The program awarded contracts farmers and distributors to provide food for families experiencing food insecurity. The article lays out some of the challenges with the program like issues with how the contracts were awarded, difficulty coordinating between distributors and farmers, stringent requirements, as well as the quick, creative solutions that were deployed to overcome them.

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Co-ops are democratizing the food chain

Jaisal Noor

June 10, 2021 |

The Real News Network |

Video |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The food-supply business is known for exploitative pay and poor working conditions. But Brooklyn Packers, a Black-owned cooperative launched in 2016, pays its owner-workers and vendors fair wages and is founded on traditions in the Black community of food sovereignty and mutual aid. Those values paid off at the start of the pandemic, when demand for fresh produce deliveries exploded. Brooklyn Packers retooled its business model to meet the demand, showing that a non-hierarchical business can move quickly.

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A business without bosses

Euan McKirdy Jaisal Noor

June 03, 2021 |

The Real News Network |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

ChiFresh Chicago is owned and run by formerly incarcerated women of color. The business' five owner-workers responded to the pandemic's effect on food insecurity, in neighborhoods that already had high rates of that problem, by providing healthy, culturally appropriate meals to the communities hardest hit. In the longer term, ChiFresh's goal is supporting the community's food sovereignty while managing their own livelihood on their own terms.

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How this donation app helped get food directly to hungry people during the pandemic

Talib Visram

June 02, 2021 |

FastCompany |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“DoorDash for the food insecure” is how the founder of Food Rescue Hero describes the service that is connecting surplus food supply to those who can put it to good use. The service takes on a growing crisis of food insecurity while also diverting food from landfills. The initial pilot was created in Pittsburgh, where a team of experts created an app to redirect surplus food from restaurants and events to nonprofits that can get the food where it is most needed. A network of volunteers is notified when deliveries in their area are ready for pickup without much inconvenience to their daily routines.

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Black Women Come Up Short On Funds And Food In COVID-19 Pandemic

Marissa Evans

June 01, 2021 |

Fierce for Black Women |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Village Minds was started by Natia Simone as a Facebook page to connect people in need of food and assistance, due to COVID-19 and grocery store closures after the protests following the murder of George Floyd. However, a broader issue of food insecurity led her to expand into a formal organization that has made more than 3,650 grocery deliveries. A partnership with a local produce store helps fill bags with fresh food and a food pantry provides other staples. With the help of friends and family, Simone uses a rented U-Haul to deliver the groceries to seniors throughout Chicago.

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This South L.A. startup will turn your front lawn into a farm

Adele Peters

May 25, 2021 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

A startup in California called Crop Swap LA is converting unused front yards into community gardens that can grow crops like kale, rainbow chard, and tomatoes as a way to feed neighbors. Community members can pay for subscriptions for up to $43 a month to receive a bundle of greens and vegetables from the microfarms and homeowners get a share of the profits. Each garden needs to have the proper maintenance, which can make it difficult to scale, but these gardens can help provide access to food to those who don’t have a grocery store in their area.

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