Many of our neighbors don’t have a full-service retailer within walking distance of their home, or transportation to drive to one. We’re working towards solutions that will put affordable groceries within reach.
We’re building a bridge between free food and affordable food
The vast majority of the people we serve would prefer to purchase their own food, and many have some funds for groceries. But thousands of our neighbors in low-income areas don’t have a full-service grocery store nearby, or a car to get to one farther away.
With the help of our partners, we’re building a bridge between free food and affordable food. We plan to make healthy, affordable groceries more accessible so that individuals and families can more easily bring home the food they need to eat and live well.
How we’re putting good food nearby
Mobile groceries
We know that a lack of reliable and efficient transportation can be a barrier to people’s ability to get to a grocery store, so we’re bringing the groceries to them. Our Curbside Groceries truck, a partnership between the food bank, Giant, Marriott, and the Clark Foundation, brings affordable groceries directly into underserved neighborhoods in our region. The truck offers a selection of fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable items, putting good food within reach for more people.
By partnering with neighborhoods, churches, and other community footholds, we hope to demonstrate the need for grocery delivery in food deserts; increase sales of healthy food; and determine the affordable pricing necessary to meet the financial needs of the community.
Grocery delivery
More than a quarter of the residents in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 are experiencing food insecurity—a problem compounded by a lack of full-service grocery stores nearby that provide affordable, healthy food. By partnering with grocery delivery services to provide lower or no-cost delivery options, we’re designing initiatives to help residents without reliable transportation and those with limited mobility to easily shop for nutritious meals. Our aim is to improve health, increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and decrease doctor visits for participants by making good food easier to order.
It takes more than food
The Capital Area Food Bank is launching multiple Food+ programs to help find solutions for hunger by addressing its root causes. If your organization offers services to people in need or would like to help make these programs possible, please get in contact with Susan Topping at stopping@capitalareafoodbank.org.
