Grocery markets are stripped of toilet paper, yeast, pasta, and most other preserved goods. Carts are over-filled with excess supplies, passerbys wondering just how many people that one shopper is going home to.
These times are unprecedented, but people going hungry isn’t. The way in which Americans shop for groceries has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak began in early March. Food prices even jumped 0.5 percent in February, the most since May 2015, likely driven by Americans stocking up. The differences between food hoarders, who’s main fear is exposing themselves during a weekly grocery store run, and those who are scraping by to put food on the table due to access and legislation issues is polarizing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Truthout, a nonprofit news organization covering social justice stories, unearthed the reality for 30,000 residents in West Jackson, Mississippi. There is no grocery store in the city, so buying food is already a burdensome task in ordinary times. Once their lone grocery store closed last year, Dollar General was the only store selling food. This February, it, too, closed its doors. Now, the nearest grocery store is five miles away, too far for many low-income residents lacking reliable transportation options.
These residents worry about finding enough food. On March 25, the city of West Jackson issued a statement preparing their residents for anticipated healthcare collapses and a dwindling of their food supply chain, increasing worry amongst on an already hard-stricken community. Luckily, Cooperation Jackson, a Black economic empowerment and democracy group, has made food sovereignty as a key aspect of its program. Before COVID hit, and even more so now, the group is promoting farm cooperatives and securing the finances to reopen a grocery store in the city.
One of the community gardens being started in West Jackson, Mississippi.
Food deserts pocket urban centers around the nation, which are also the epicenter of the most severe virus outbreaks. In these uncertain times, organizations are leading efforts of food access and equality for those who need support. Several urban hubs have implemented food pick-up and grab-n-go practices for their students. Cities with major public school systems such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta have implemented these programs.
Schools are a food oasis for many families. According to NPR, nearly 30 million children in the U.S. rely on schools for free or low-cost meals—but all of those children are now at home. The school lunch program is the second-largest anti-hunger initiative in the country, following SNAP/food stamps. While schools are closed, school leaders are still working to ensure kids have food to eat.
Unfortunately, children who live far from such pick-up programs remain at risk. Students don’t necessarily live near their school, revealing some unforeseen problems in the current grab-and-go method. In fact, the number of New York City parents taking advantage of free meals has dropped. Because of this and limiting exposure, other cities are beginning school lunch deliveries. Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township in Indiana are using buses to deliver meals to students. The city of Cambridge, Mass. is also delivering food to neighborhoods in need.
A Colorado kitchen manager fills grab-and-go bags early Tuesday morning, preparing for the meal delivery service.
The federal government is also beginning to help in the most recent stimulus package. Lawmakers included $450 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy and help distribute food to food banks. Donations from restaurants have also risen, whether they were forced to close or transition to take-out only.
How can you help improve food security for those who need it most? Beyond staying home, reconsider buying items with “WIC” labels next to the price when you’re out shopping. The WIC Program, or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is run by the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. It provides nutritious food to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to five. According to the USDA, during the 2018 fiscal year, about 6.87 million people received WIC benefits–more than half of that total being children.
Purchasing foods with the WIC label might limit the options for those who have to buy WIC products under the SNAP program. These benefits cannot be substituted and also differ by state, so I urge you be mindful of your own purchasing of these items. Participants receive state-written checks or vouchers to purchase specific foods each month. Foods under the program intend to supplement a healthy diet including iron-fortified adult cereal, vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable juice, dairy products, peanut butter, and dried or canned goods.
Even if you’re safe at home, people are working hard to make sure families can access food, and there needs to be greater attention to these realities. You can take action in your own home and when you do have to make that weekly food run. Food pantries nationwide are still operating, so if you find yourself with food you don’t need, donate! Educate yourself on your own state’s food stamp and WIC policies, so you can be more mindful in the store. You are helping those who don’t have these options by shopping smarter.