Photo courtesy of Austin Bigoney, The Crimson White 104 Spring 2020
F or most Alabamians, access to food is as quick and easy as the drive to a nearby grocery store or restaurant. For others, however, it is far more of a struggle. According to the US Department of Agriculture, over 1.2 million individuals use food banks and emergency kitchens. In 2018 the United States had over 37.2 million individuals living in households with low or very low food security. This means that there are people everywhere struggling to fulfill one of the basic requirements to live. Jean Rykaczewski is the executive director of West Alabama Food Bank, and she highlighted the necessity of food banks for residents. “Food banks are important because we help pick up the pieces when people find themselves food insecure,” Rykaczewski said. “We help them keep food in their system when unexpected bills pop up. Any single thing can force people to become food insecure.” While food insecurity can hit anyone at any time, there are specific groups that are more at-risk. Rykaczewski noted that seniors and the working lower class are especially sensitive to food insecurity because of the “high medical cost” and the tendency for working lower class individuals to work more than one job to pay bills. Many of these patrons must also combat the stigmas associated with seeking help from food banks. “Often times they are in tears, and they are very embarrassed to be here,” Rykaczewski said. “They don’t know how to ask for help.” It takes a substantial amount of resources to sustain distribution from food banks. Rykaczewski said that the West Alabama Food Bank distributes over 5 million pounds of food, including 2000 backpack meals every week for food insecure children and 1200 senior boxes every month. “Food hubs are extremely resource extensive and the model in and of itself requires about $2 million in revenue to sustain it without outside revenue,” said Taylor Jacobson, director of recruitment and growth at Rev Birmingham. This along with fundraising challenges eventually led to Rev Bimringham’s The Urban Food Project’s end, but the people benefiting from this program were met with the efforts of The Common Market. Jacobson is now the chair of the board of directors at The Common Market and has helped their efforts in Birmingham. “It’s not so much about whether you live in a food desert, but more so about whether you have transportation,” Jacobson said. “Because if you live in a food desert, and you can get in your car, [it] is not a big deal to drive 1.5 miles. However if you live in a food desert, and you don’t have a car, then that’s when it’s an issue. I would encourage everyone to use the USDA Food Access Research Atlas. What you will find is that in Birmingham there are approximately 90,000 residents that live in food deserts.” The City of Birmingham has worked to alleviate some of the strain that food deserts present to residents. In May of 2019, Mayor Woodfin launched The Healthy Foods Fund — as part of the Neighborhood Revitalization Fund — which granted $500,000 to “offset the costs of opening grocery stores in areas of the city that have been designated by the USDA as food deserts,” according to a press release from the Birmingham City Council. On <strong>No</strong>vember 5, 2019, Village Market in East Lake was the first approved grocer as part of the program. “While many of our residents frequent dollar stores, which serve a purpose to the community, a concentrated number of dollar stores in targeted areas can often drive away grocery stores which offer fresh and healthier food options,” said a Birmingham City Council press release. In 2015, Alabama had 654 Dollar General stores and one distribution center, meaning there were just under 14 stores per every 100,000 residents according to AL.com. More recently in 2019, the Birmingham area has 51 stores within a 20-mile radius. This all comes together to make Alabama the fifth highest concentration per capita of dollar stores in the country. “Healthy foods are the cornerstone of a healthy community. What we are trying to do is show our community that healthy residents make healthy workers, which will lead to a healthier economy,’’ Josh Carpenter, director of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity in Birmingham said. “Making sure that people have access to healthier foods is fundamental to our work in not only recruiting grocery stores but other businesses.’’ The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama started a program, Corner Market Mobile Grocery Store, that provides fresh produce and other services such as health screenings, farmers’ market vouchers, and cooking demonstrations. This program brings the convenience of discount stores and carries the fresh produce that aren’t found in dollar stores. Elizabeth Wix, director of partnerships and interim executive manager of Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, said, “Our aim at CFB is to make healthy choices accessible to everyone. This is why our Corner Market Mobile Grocery Store goes to food desert areas that do not have fresh produce and serves populations who otherwise cannot get to a full-service grocery.” Furthering Alabama’s efforts to combat food deserts, Governor Kay Ivey awarded $300,000 in grants to promote healthy food choices for low-income communities in 2018. These grants were given through the Alabama Healthy Food Financing Act. The seven grants included the Africatown Community Development Corp in Mobile, Children of the Village Network Inc. in Sumter County, City of Birmingham, Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, Peoples Piggly Wiggly in Cherokee, West Alabama Food Bank Inc. in <strong>No</strong>rthport, and Wright’s Markets Inc in Opelika. In recent years, Alabama has made strides to promote grocers into the area as well as promote food banks and pantries for those in need. While these efforts show progress, they also highlight the harsh reality that many Alabamians still face. Spring 2020 105