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Access to Nutritious Food
Approximately 68,000 District residents suffer from persistent hunger or are at risk of hunger. At the same time, obesity rates and, therefore, chronic health problems are increasing. This is particularly true in areas with high poverty rates, where systemic barriers to a healthy diet are more widespread. Barriers include lack of access to nutritious foods and the resources to purchase them.
As a core element of our mission, the SOME Dining Room for the Homeless serves as many as 900 meals a day to hungry individuals and families. It takes the work of many service organizations like SOME to reach all those who are in need. We have developed a comprehensive Food Assistance Resource for the Homeless to share information about food service providers for homeless and other needy people in Washington, DC. We hope it will help those who are homeless to find their next meal, service providers to make referrals, and advocates to identify unmet needs. Lack of Access to Healthful VarietyGrocery stores and supermarkets are the usual source of food staples. The District has 24 major chain grocery stores, but only three east of the Anacostia River—the area with the highest poverty rate. As a result, a majority of low-income residents must depend on smaller grocers, convenience stores and carryouts. These tend to have higher prices and a limited selection of foods needed for a healthful diet. Farmers' markets offer a partial solution. But most are not conveniently located for a vast majority of low-income people, and District permitting rules tend to discourage the establishment of more. Only a few markets have the capability to process electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards—the form in which food stamps are now issued. SOME and our coalition partners are advocating for the creation of a Fresh Foods Opportunity Bank. This initiative would consolidate and increase funding for a wide variety of small grants to increase the availability of nutritious, affordable foods in low-income neighborhoods and nutrition education for local residents. Supplemental Food SourcesThe District administers several programs to help low-income individuals and families purchase nutritious foods. However, they are under-funded, exclude many needy individuals and are not carried out as effectively as possible. The food stamp program, for example, currently provides an average benefit of less than $1.10 per meal. Federal rules exclude many adult non-citizens and severely limit benefits to unemployed adults without dependent children. An estimated 21% of eligible D.C. residents do not receive food stamps. Food stamp benefits cannot be used to purchase hot, prepared meals—a barrier to a balanced diet for homeless people who do not have access to cooking facilities or proper food storage. Through the federal Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, coupons for $25 to purchase fresh produce from local farmers' markets are available to WIC recipients and low-income senior citizens. The District has chosen to restrict participation by seniors to those at or below 130% of the poverty level, rather than the 185% level federal rules allow. This excludes about 8,000 potentially eligible individuals. SOME and our coalition partners advocate funding to raise the eligibility level for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program so it can serve all who are eligible at the federal level. ResourcesFacts & Figures Recent SOME Testimony
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