Food Insecurity

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People & Blogs

service, food inescurity, social justice, community, Environment, environmental justice, homelessness, Monumedia, D.C. Central Kitchen, Zero Waste

Food Insecurity

Grate Patrol Mobile Food Canteen

As homelessness remains a critical issue in the nation’s capital, non-profit organizations and services across the District stay committed in providing assistance. The Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol is an outreach program in Washington D.C. for homeless individuals. The Grate Patrol mobile feed canteen feeds approximately 120-150 evening meals 7 days a week, 365 days a year. While dispensing meals provides a foundation of trust and respect, food alone does not begin to address the root problems and factors contributing to living on the streets. Grate Patrol’s Outreach Coordinator maintains an active caseload to help clients meet basic needs as well as establishing long-term goals to help break the cycle of homelessness. Video by Ashley Le.

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Zero Waste in D.C.

In 2016, the Office of D.C. Public Works released its waste diversion report which identified goals for D.C. to move toward a low-impact economy. Many millennials are adopting this issue, and using their platforms to spread awareness of low-impact living. Video by Chelsea Bendelow.

People & Blogs

Monumedia, Zero Waste, Environment

Growing from Nothing to Something: A Fruitful Gem in the Heart of DC

Wangari Gardens, situated in Ward 5 of Washington, DC, is a 2.7-acre garden park designed, created and sustained by the surrounding Columbia Heights community. It is located in a ‘food desert’ where most residents do not have access to grocery stores that sell healthy foods and fresh produce and, as a result, suffer from diabetes, heart disease and malnutrition. A group of neighbors collaborated to put this previously unused green space in the middle of the city to better use. The garden itself features a fruit tree orchard, a vegetable garden, an outdoor classroom, an herb garden, a medicinal garden and a community drop-off compost system. Wangari Gardens also offers many programs free to the public, including yoga, workshops, garden lunches and tours. This green space aims to honor the late Professor Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who fought for social justice in East Africa, by carrying out her legacy and providing accessible food for the non-profit benefit of the community. Video by Nicola Karasik.

People & Blogs

social justice, environmental justice, Monumedia

An urban farmer’s journey to help eradicate food disparities in the DMV

Taboris, a farmer for DC Urban Greens, works every day to help mitigate food disparities in the DMV area, predominantly in food desert areas. With populations growing and access to sustainable foods decreasing, low-income residents in harder to reach neighborhoods are underserved. Taboris seeks to address these discrepancies through his farming efforts by providing locally grown, chemical-free vegetables and fruits to disenfranchised communities.

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D.C. Central Kitchen Info Text Video

Food insecurity is a significant problem plaguing the D.C. community, where every 1 in 3 residents are at risk for hunger. D.C. Central Kitchen, which is mostly made up of volunteers, serves over three million meals a year to local schools, nonprofits, and the homeless community. Video by Amanda Berman.

People & Blogs

Monumedia, D.C. Central Kitchen, homelessness, food inescurity

Fixing Food Waste in D.C.

Food waste is an enormous problem facing the U.S. It is having devestating effects on both the environment and the enconomy. Kate Urbank, D.C. site director of Food Rescue U.S., is working to put this wasted food to better use. Through an app, food donors are matched with needy organizations and available volunteers will pick-up and deliver the food. It's a small step towards solving both food insecurity and food waste in the U.S. Video by Max McCrory.

People & Blogs

Che Axum: Creating a More Sustainable Future for D.C.

Che Axum, the director of College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences at UDC, says his passion for agricilture began early. Che is working alongside other community leaders to address the food desert problem in Southeast D.C. with the creation of urban food hubs. He also aims to teach folks in the community how to grow their own food, so that they can connect with the environment in which their food grows. Video by Max McCrory.

People & Blogs

XK Scenario, Food Not Bombs and the Guerilla War on Hunger in D.C.

When Kaleab Elias and Alex Menick first visited The Commune, they figured they were just going to a punk show in a basement. They didn’t realize that they were about to become part of a community that organizes protests, networks free thinkers and fights hunger outside the corporate-nonprofit complex. But soon, with the help of Food Not Bombs, their band XK Scenario was playing shows to help raise funds to help feed Washington D.C.’s most vulnerable people. Video By Will Lennon.

People & Blogs

community, service