Is "food desert " comment fair -- or
insulting?
COLUMBIA, 7/12/11 (Beat Byte) -- Kraft Foods, which owns
an Oscar Mayer meat plant in Columbia, has announced a novel initiative to get
fresh produce and other food to the hungry and needy -- mobile farmers markets
-- in ten American cities, including Columbia, but with an odd swipe at city
participants.
In
a press release about the effort, the food manufacturing giant
characterized Columbia as a "food desert -- an urban or rural
area where residents have limited access to grocery stores and emergency food
assistance."
"Mobile pantries are critical to getting more fresh foods to people in
low-income communities," said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Kraft pantry
partner Feeding
America. "Many of our clients live in food
deserts or neighborhoods where opportunities to purchase healthy,
affordable groceries are scarce."
Columbia, however, is home to one of the nation's most active food pantries
-- The Food Bank for Central
and Northeast Missouri, under the direction of Peggy Kirkpatrick, a
dynamo known for her charismatic leadership and enormous food support
system. The city also hosts a number of farmers markets and comparatively low
cost food, given several Wal-Marts and Sams Club heating up the competition.
In its third year, the Kraft Foods Mobile Pantry program has delivered 33
million pounds of food, company officials explained, again emphasizing the "food
desert" concept.
"The mobile pantries are uniquely designed to help food banks expand their
reach and bring food assistance to underserved areas," said Nicole Robinson,
Vice President, Kraft Foods Foundation. "With a diverse selection of fresh
fruit and vegetables, dairy and protein, the trucks deliver a good mix of
nutrition and help close the gap for our neighbors in the nation's food
deserts."
The refrigerated trucks bring fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy products
to neighborhood food pantries, churches or school parking lots an average of 120
times a year. "Families and individuals are invited to select food as they
would at a farmers' market – produce like fresh lettuce, crunchy apples, crisp
green beans, and other meal-time staples such as Kraft macaroni and cheese, and
Oscar Mayer meats," company officials added.
Other cities involved in the program include Fredericksburg, Va.; Fort
Pierce, Fla.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Lafayette, Ind.; Orlando, Fla.; Salt Lake
City; San Diego; Spokane, Wash.; and Springfield, Ohio. What qualifies these
cities as "food deserts," however, was not explained.
This is Peggy Kirkpatrick from The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. I think there has been some misunderstanding with the Mobile Pantry truck Kraft has given to us. First of all, it's a pantry on wheels. It will not be used in Columbia where we are blessed with The Food Bank which supplies so many pantries feeding our hungry neighbors. The intent is to go into pockets of poverty in our 32 counties that ARE "food deserts" where there is no "bricks and mortar" pantry and where families are struggling to feed their children. The Kraft Mobile Pantry truck is filled with food and related groceries such as fresh fruits and vegetables, refrigerated products and frozen foods along with shelf stable product. More than 60% of this food comes from our great affiliation with Feeding America. The Mobile Pantry distribution happens once a month in a community on a scheduled day and time. Usually a church parking lot is used. A perimeter of tables is set up around the truck. The sides roll up (the truck is designed like a beverage-style delivery vehicle), people who need food assistance are qualified and in a matter of hours, people in need in our 32 counties in central and northeast Missouri are receiving food assistance. Our partnerships with Kraft (both in Columbia and Kirksville) and Feeding America are a huge BLESSING and we can't do what we do without them! Thanks for the opportunity to boast about these wonderful partners and I invite anyone who would like to see the truck (or to learn more about the need and ways to help) to contact me at peggyk@sharefoodbringhope.org or give me a call at 573-474-1020.
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