By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Despite gaining four new grocery stores in the past year, food access in Washington, D.C. remains uneven from ward to ward. A new report from D.C. Hunger Solutions shows that while grocery options expanded in some wards, residents east of the Anacostia River continue to experience limited access.
The report, “Minding the Grocery Gap in the District of Columbia,” found that wealthier, predominantly White wards, such as Ward 1, have 13 full-service grocery stores, while Wards 7 and 8, home to mostly Black residents, have just three and four stores, respectively. LaMonika Jones, director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, emphasized that the shortage has serious consequences for District families.
“The persistent lack of grocery stores in communities experiencing food insecurity makes it challenging for families and households to do what is very basic, which is being able to purchase food to feed themselves and their families,” said Jones. “Not having access to grocery stores makes it challenging for residents in these communities to access basic needs items in addition to food, like medication and baby formula.”
Jones pointed out that food access is often shaped by a combination of economic stability, affordability, cost of living and access to transportation. According to the report, in Wards 7 and 8, the median household income is $69,109 and $50,931, respectively, and more than 20 percent of people live below the poverty line. They are also among the most populous wards in D.C., having more residents than Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. Yet, they have the fewest number of grocery stores.
While the report underscored these disparities, it also highlighted efforts by organizations, like D.C. Central Kitchen, that are helping to close gaps and improve food access for marginalized communities. D.C. Central Kitchen’s Healthy Corners initiative delivers fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables to corner stores in low-income communities, offering store owners affordable, smaller-quantity options that make healthy food more accessible to local residents. Partner stores sell the produce at below-market prices, helping to ensure it’s affordable for shoppers.
“It’s one thing to make a healthy choice at a grocery store— especially if you can only visit once a month because it’s hard to get there and your SNAP benefits only go so far. But, what about making healthy choices day-in and day-out after working a shift at your second job or as a kid walking home from school?” said Alexander Justice Moore, chief development officer for D.C. Central Kitchen. “Healthy Corners helps make nutritious choices affordable and accessible at the same time, with community input driving what stores stock and sell.”
In the past year, Healthy Corners served more than 55 small businesses, enabling them to sell more than 480,000 units of produce to low-income families. It also helped more than 22,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients take advantage of its special, “SNAP Match,” incentives, giving them $5 in bonus produce with each purchase of fruits or vegetables.
“We’re helping families stretch their dollars, make healthy choices and support local businesses all at the same time,” said Moore.
However, efforts like, Healthy Corners, may face new challenges as federal changes to SNAP take effect. Jones said the program, long the nation’s primary safety net against hunger, will soon require able-bodied adults without dependents to complete 80 work hours per month to remain eligible. For the first time, SNAP clients ages 55 to 64 will also need to meet these requirements, and exemptions for unhoused residents, veterans and former foster youth will be removed.
“These additional restrictions will negatively impact District residents relying on SNAP, pushing households further into food insecurity,” said Jones.
On the ground, D.C. Central Kitchen and other organizations are already responding to these changes. The organization is serving up to 500 additional emergency meals to residents in need each day.
“There is understandable confusion and concern in many of the communities we serve about what the future of SNAP and other benefits will look like,” said Moore. “We’re working hard to share accurate, trustworthy information with shoppers and store owners alike, ensuring that everyone is using and redeeming benefits in ways that fully comply with the law, and ramp up distributions of emergency food to fill these growing gaps.”
