Existing comment:
Mary Blackford, Founder, Market Seven
QUOTE:
"It's hard to eat healthy when you live in a food desert or when the quality of the grocery stores you have is not that great. In Ward 7, there's not much fresh anything. They may have a couple bananas at the 7-Eleven. Eventually I said, ‘We just need our own market here. That's the real solution.' And we did it."
STORY:
Mary Blackford grew up in Ward 7 where she experienced food apartheid firsthand. So when she left for business school, she says, "The dream was always to come back and build my community." Inspired by the cooperative economics of markets she explored while living in Ghana, Mary decided to build something similar at home. The result is Market 7, a community food hall set to open in the Benning neighborhood.
CONTEXT:
All grocery stores are not created equal. In addition to organizing for more grocery stores, many residents have mobilized to address the quality of the stores that exist in their neighborhoods. Some have pressed supermarkets to improve food quality, long lines, and cleanliness,while others have turned to entrepreneurship to create new food options themselves.
TAKE ACTION:
Support community-minded businesses and local entrepreneurs that are working to bring new fresh food options to DC's underserved wards |