'We create equal access where the city does not' | DC groups work together to feed the hungry in communities with few grocery stores

WASHINGTON — Food pantries are reporting a rise in hunger. The summer months coupled with rising grocery prices and the loss of federal benefits have led more DC families to find help getting food on the table.

The 11th Street bridge in Southeast connects communities across the Anacostia River, but there remains a deep disparity in food access on both sides. According to advocates, there are seventy-nine full grocery stores west of the river and only four east of the river.

The lunch line never stops at Ketchum Elementary School in Ward 8, one of sixteen summer meal sites where anyone under 18 years old can get free food.

“We're prepared to distribute more than 100,000 meals into the community this summer to help combat some of this hunger,” said Ja’Sent Brown Chief Impact Officer with DC Central Kitchen.

DC Central Kitchen also sends its mobile meal truck to pools and parks to reach those in Wards 7 and 8: DC communities without equitable access to grocery stores.

Brown said the outdated term ‘food desert’ fails to describe the real problem.

“We have to call it what it is,” explained Brown, “Deserts are natural, and they're a part of our ecosystem, and they make sense. What we're saying is food apartheid, because this is intentional, especially in areas that are predominantly occupied by Black and brown residents of the District of Columbia.”

“Our community solution is not relying on someone to zone a grocery store,” said Daryl Wright from So Others Might Eat.

Wright said even though Wards 7 and 8 only have four grocery stores for more than 170,000 residents, each of their SOME properties has a fully stocked food pantry.

“Our programs are providing those residents equal access to food, even though the city does not provide equal access,” said Wright.

So, while food insecurity is on the rise, so are community partnerships. Whether it’s at your apartment building pantry or corner stores where DC Central Kitchen sets up fresh food options, organizations are working together to find creative solutions to a deepening problem.

“To make sure that everyone has the same equal access to the basic human right of getting a nutritious and delicious item from it within walkable distance,” said Ja’Sent Brown.

If you find yourself on a road trip this summer and your children need food, you can dial 1-866-3-HUNGRY to find a summer feeding site near you.