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Just What the Doctor Ordered: Produce Prescriptions are More Important—and Popular—Than Ever.

Andy Hirschfeld

August 13, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Produce prescription programs across the United States are seeing a resurgence in activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs provide healthy foods at a subsidized price to patients with chronic health issues. For example, the VeggieRx program in Chicago used to give out up to 70 boxes of fruits and veggies a week, but now they’re up to 160 boxes a week. While studies have shown that these programs can have a positive impact on patients' health, insurance companies usually only pay for patients to participate in them for a short period of time, so the health benefits might be limited.

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'No one should go hungry': street fridges of free food help Americans survive Covid pandemic

Frida Garza

August 10, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Community refrigerators full of free food for anyone in need have popped up in the New York metro area. "Fridge keepers" help keep the fridges stocked either personally or through the help of locals and restaurants who want to help their neighbors. With federal aid ending for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, some locals have relied on the stocked fridges for their next meal.

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How A COVID-19 ‘Rapid Response Team' In Chicago Is Working To Fix Decades Of Neglect In Black, Latinx Communities

Dorothy Tucker Samah Assad Carol Thompson

July 31, 2020 |

WBBM-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Spurred by the high concentration of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides, city government teamed with multiple community groups to form a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to distribute protective gear, food, financial aid, and other help in the hard-hit neighborhoods. The help included more than 1 million masks, 6,000 boxes of food, 250,000 information flyers, laptops and free internet access, and $380,000 to help pay rent and utilities. The deaths and desperate need for help stem directly from decades of racial disparities in food and health care access.

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College Food Pantries Are Reinventing Ways to Feed Students

Lela Nargi

July 27, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

University-based food pantries around the U.S. had to quickly rethink the ways they could continue to provide students with access to food during the pandemic, despite students not having the same campus access as before. Fresno City College in California expanded its hours of operations and widened access to the whole community, instead of students only. Other college food pantries in California started using appointment-based apps for students to make appointments and pick up their food. Philander Smith College in Arkansas offered ready-made food baskets and grocery gift-cards, and emergency cash.

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Will Community Gardens Survive Pandemic Budget Cuts?

Lela Nargi

July 23, 2020 |

FoodPrint |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The ability of community gardens to supply healthy food to those who might not have their basic needs met has grown in importance as coronavirus continues to spread across the United States. For example, the New Roots community gardening initiative in Salt Lake City helps nearly 150 refugee families raise food on plots, and about 86 percent of the gardeners report saving an average of $30 a week by growing their own food. However, the future of this program, and others around the country in New York City, Seattle, and Minneapolis, are uncertain as they face budget cuts from cities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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How This N.Y. Island Went From Tourist Hot Spot to Emergency Garden

Rachel Wharton

July 23, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

For environmental organization GrowNYC, their one-acre teaching farm on Governor’s Island became a victory garden for New Yorkers who aren’t having their basic needs met during the COVID-19 pandemic. While future land development on the island could impact their work, the farm is on track to produce about 20,000 pounds of food that is distributed by other groups like the Black Feminist Project as free or low-cost coronavirus relief food boxes.

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How A Healer, An Artist And A Chef Are Fighting For Black Food Sovereignty In South LA

Lillian Kalish

July 23, 2020 |

LAist |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

To ensure that Black communities have access to healthy food, three people in Los Angeles are taking different approaches to promote food security and food sovereignty. As part of Feed Black Futures, Ali Anderson packs nearly 100 boxes a week of fruits and vegetables to deliver to Black women and caregivers who have been impacted by incarceration. Artist Lauren Halsey and her Summaeverythang Community Center deliver up to 1,000 boxes a week of free organic produce. Chef Kat Williams is also making sure Black people of the LGBT community have access to healthy meals.

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Citrus for Sourdough, Eggs for Yeast

Annelise Jolley

July 21, 2020 |

Life & Thyme |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

Food bartering helps families during times of food insecurity, which is often exacerbated by crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Families with lower incomes have bartered for food for a long time but the pandemic has brought diversity to the families exchanging food with friends and neighbors. Food bartering is part of the cultural fabric of different groups, such as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, which hosts workshops on cultivating gardens. Food bartering is an inclusive and community-building practice but when bartering is the only way to get food, the communal reliance can be an emotional drain.

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2.4 million pounds and counting: How sending surplus crops to food banks is helping Washington farmers and hungry families

Scott Hanson

July 21, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

When the economy came to a sudden halt with the onset of a global pandemic, farmers were left with produce meant for the restaurant industry while families who lost incomes struggled to put food on their tables. For one good samaritan “it was just a matter of connecting the dots.” George Ahearn's idea to crowdsource transportation from farms to food banks led to the creation of EastWest Food Rescue, a nonprofit that has delivered 2.4 million pounds of crops to 160 food banks.

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How Immokalee-based Mision Peniel has had to adapt amid COVID-19 regulations

Sarah Murphy

July 20, 2020 |

Naples Daily News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Immokalee, Florida

When the coronavirus threatened the economic well-being and health of the immigrant farmworkers in Florida's agricultural hub in Collier County, faith-based organizations that could no longer serve free hot meals pivoted to a weekly distribution of donated food and homemade masks. Immokalee's Mision Peniel and area churches served an average of 400 people per week since the early days of the outbreak, focusing on financially struggling families, with bags of vegetables, meat, and other staples.

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