Posted on 05/28/2011 6:31:57 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
Durham, N.C. — Healthier food might soon be coming to a corner store near you, thanks to an initiative by local, state and federal governments to bring better eating options to areas without grocery stores.
Those who live along Angier Avenue in east Durham can buy food, but most of it is not very healthy. A mini mart sells candy and snacks, and a diner features a one-pound hot dog. The federal government calls places like this "food deserts."
"All the grocery stores have left, and all that people have access to is what's in a convenience store," said Sheree Vodicka, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Division of Public Health.
Grocery stores typically carry more fresh fruits and vegetables and healthier food than convenience stores. "If you can't get to them, you can't choose those foods," Vodicka said. But things are on changing on Angier Avenue. Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers opened a grocery store there a year ago. It's become part of a new state effort to work with stores to bring fruits and vegetables to those food deserts.
The TROSA store manager said that business is brisk and people are buying healthier foods. "The community realizes that they have access, that they have resources," said David Reese, co-chair of Partnership for a Healthy Durham. People also get lessons on how to cook fresh vegetables from the county health department. "A lot of people may have been raised not eating it in the healthiest way, so we're trying to teach people to cook things quick and easy," nutritionist Kelly Warnock said.
But the program is about more than improving human health. Organizers hope it will bring back some big grocery stores to improve the community's economic health.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
I checked it out and looked at my area.
At least in my area there may be area's that don't have "chain grocery stores" but they are independent grocery stores in the area.
Not C-Store but real grocery stores with fresh fruit, fresh meats and real groceries
I'm sure there are area's that this is a serious problem, but with everything government it's overstated to generate money
Don’t get too wound up about this. Variations on this scheme have been around since the Great Depression, in a multitude of forms.
The first major program was to require Home Economics for all girls in high school. At its height, it was spectacularly successful, saving future families thousands or tens of thousands of dollars while significantly improving their quality of life.
But when Home Ec was mostly discontinued, the decline in home management knowledge and children’s nutrition was rapid. Soon there was a need for elementary schools to start providing free breakfasts as well as lunch, so they would at least get some vitamins.
Will this latest effort help? Marginally, at best. People raised to eat only rice and beans, or pizza and beer, or grits and grease, or whatever, are difficult to convince that eating something else might be good, too.
Geeze O petes, did you take a look at the food desert locator?
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/fooddesert.html
Huge tracts of unpopulated country are classified as food deserts. Just maybe those areas don’t have grocery stores because nobody lives there.
In my county they show the city of Jackson Michigan as a food desert despite 2 Meijer stores, a Walmart, Sam’s club, Aldi’s, Gordon Food service, multiple Kroger stores, 2 Save A Lot stores, and probably a half dozen more I can’t remember.
in those areas they tend to eat greasy foods.
But they think with foods stamps why would a grocery store not make it?
The reason is many on food stamps sell them for cash.
People that live there won’t buy healthy food anyway.
And education about healthy food won’t change anything for those people.
The first wookie said this a few months ago and now it is a "federal government" pronouncment?
Anyone who states this food desert BS thinks anyone who believes it is stupid.
Anyone who believes this food desert BS deserves to starve.
According to their 2009 annual report 8 % comes from grants The 89% of revenue comes from donations and earned income.
http://www.trosainc.org/Annual%20Report.pdf
If the govt-run food store opens in food stamp country, they can stock their shelves with all the healthy food they want, but no one’s going to take it.
Then, the complaints of racism will go up because the “gummint sto” doesn’t have the convenience foods that “white peoples sto” has. Then, Uncle Sugar will fill its store with convenience food and they’ll be right back where they are now, except that the taxpayer will have to support another failed “program”.
Our government counted ketsup as a vegtable in the “free” school lunch program at one time.
I imagine islands of communism in the cities will thrive as long as the government can take food from people outside the cities. In a “state of emergency” Obammy can do what ever he wants to do to whomever he wants.
As we enter into a time of “global” food shortages, Obama has created the base of power and infrastructure to can take care of “his people.”
Reminds me of the good ole days of Stalin. But that is crazy! In a time of shortages, Obammy would never take control over food and then starve the people outside the cities like Stalin did!
Systemic Federal insanity is proven. All that remains is the decision as to when We the People start to dismantle the beast.
Yup, and the liquor stores are doing just fine, thank you very much.
No they can't.
They went to government schools.
I can hear it now, Jamal and Latisha chanting
NO BRUSSEL SPROUTS NO PEACE!
Food seems to be the weapon of choice of all dictators throughout history. Create shortages and then accrue power by doling out the relief.
” Hmmm.....if they managed both ends of the equation......???
Food stamps can only be used at government run food stores....... “
Then, take it to the next logical step, and close the system - the Gummint Store will *only* accept food stamps....
Control access to food, and control the population.....
I’ll give you a couple of minutes to figure out why this area has no grocery store. OK times up.
They should address the root problem — why did the grocery stores leave the ‘hood? Everything else is like a band-aid on a flesh-eating bug infestation.
If one considers only the historical record as a guide, then the result of the state’s initiative will be starvation.
However, if one relies instead on the visionary proclamations of progressive statesmen, then things will only get better, and then even better again.
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