Does your urban city have a food desert ?
Staff Writer
2012-02-19
.dmvblogspot.bloggieblog.com .
The term "Food Desert" may be new to you but some it is reality . A food desert according to the Richmond City government is an area without access to healthy, nutritional, fresh food.
Lucky, for the city of Richmond VA, the leadership has come up with a plan to help the community and stimulate the economy .
Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced a new monthly grocery shuttle offering transportation for Richmond residents to local grocery stores. The courtesy service is being piloted for residents in areas of the city considered to be in food deserts – areas without access to healthy, nutritional, fresh food.
A transportation support system is one of the preliminary recommendations of the Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force. “This is a recommendation that we can act on right away,” said Mayor Jones. “Helping city residents access healthy and fresh food options tie right in with the City’s healthy lifestyle focus.”
The food desert areas that have been focused on for this pilot project include Hillside Court, Fay Tower, Creighton Court, Fairfield, Mosby and Whitcomb. The pilot project will run for a six month period and then the City will access its usefulness and sustainability.
The Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force is presently working on recommendations for a comprehensive food delivery system in the city of Richmond. Several community meetings are set to take place to receive additional ideas about how to help ensure that the city is a healthy and accessible environment for all.
The RVA Shoppers’ Shuttle will run the first Tuesday and first Saturday of each month beginning on Saturday, February 4th, 2012.