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Trump has dubbed April 2 'Liberation Day' for his tariffs; Report: Arkansas labor costs attract companies hoping to reshore operations; Indiana loses millions as health funding dries up; Discrimination shields some Black farmers from USDA funding freezes.

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Elon Musk takes center stage in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race. Some observers say WI voters are deciding between democracy, and Donald Trump and Florida GOP candidates face a maelstrom from Trump's executive orders and poor campaign strategies in a special election.

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Air and water pollution is a greater risk for rural folks due to EPA cutbacks, Montana's media landscape gets a deep dive, and policymakers are putting wheels on the road to expand rural health.

Baltimore food deserts highlighted during Hunger Action Month

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Monday, September 9, 2024   

September is Hunger Action Month and advocates in Baltimore City are calling attention to expanding food deserts.

Over the summer the Giant Foods location in Edmondson Village closed. It was the neighborhood's only full-service grocery store.

Linnell Fall, state tri-chair of the Maryland Poor People's Campaign, has been working in West Baltimore distributing donated food weekly through her company Able Enterprise, to multiple day cares in the community over the last two years. She said community members in Edmondson Village are stepping up to help.

"We are mobilizing now to speak with the owner of the shopping center to distribute food twice a month in the parking lot, to help minimize the hunger and the struggle in that area," Fall explained.

In the absence of a walkable grocery store, she said people are relying more on food banks and distributions from local churches, a number of which are operating food pantries multiple days per month.

Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture published its annual Household Food Security Report, showing 10% of Maryland households were food insecure at some point in 2023.

An increasing number of Baltimore City neighborhoods have become food deserts in recent years. Researchers from Morgan State University found when vehicle access is factored in, 42% of residents are considered to be living in a food desert.

Fall pointed out older adults in the Edmondson Village area were often seen walking to and from the Giant supermarket pushing shopping carts. She noted for many, going for groceries on public transit is impractical.

"It's very difficult to catch a bus, and that's not always reliable," Fall observed. "And you can't carry all those groceries like that by hand on a bus. It's just very, very difficult."

Giant of Maryland operates more than 60 stores in the region and is a subsidiary of the Dutch-Belgian multinational retailer Ahold Delhaize, which has more than 7,000 stores in nine countries.

Disclosure: The Maryland Poor People's Campaign contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Housing/Homelessness, Poverty Issues, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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