Finding Hope in a Food Desert

Did you know that North Carolina has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country? In the United States, we rank 11^th worst for children’s ability to access food. Right here in North Carolina, one out of four children lack food on a daily basis.

Food deserts are often urban, low-income areas where grocery stores and markets stocked with fresh, nutritious produce are outnumbered by convenience stores and fast-food chains.

 Because junk food is more affordable, fast-food chains and corner-stores are more likely to succeed than farmer’s markets or healthy grocers in lower-income neighborhoods. Residents of food deserts have access to high-calorie, but low-nutrient foods. This greatly contributes to obesity rates and malnutrition, not to mention a host of other disadvantages.

Food deserts are not naturally occurring regions, however. They are socially constructed neighborhoods and we can do something about it.  We often take for granted our convenient access to plentiful sources of healthy foods.

At The Produce Box, DOING GOOD is an important part of our mission! We want to help everyone have the same kind of access to healthy foods. We partner with organizations and food banks around the state so that there is healthy and free produce available to those who might otherwise lack access to it.

This week we’re SO excited to start delivering produce to 450 kids at the YMCA’s Camp High Hopes! We’ll post pictures and more about it in a few weeks but THANK YOU to our members who are helping us get produce into the hands of kids in need in the food deserts of the Raleigh area. Your orders from all over the state are helping us help these families eat healthy this summer!