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How Four Black Baltimore Girls Are Helping To Fight Food Deserts



Areas that have poor access to health and affordable foods are commonly known as food deserts. Though there are many causes to the issue from economic to political policy, they usually affect Black communities throughout the nation. Food deserts have an overreaching effect on communities including various health issues and chronic diseases that affect children alongside adults.

In a 2015 study from John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, 1-in-4 residents in Baltimore live in these areas. Meanwhile, the cost of feeding a healthy diet to a family of four in the U.S. can average around $966.60 monthly according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thankfully, people and organizations near and wide have come to help that city’s disparity.

New Song Academy eighth-graders Aniya Ponton, Ryeona Watson, Samahj Chestnut and Logan Reynold decided to take the lead on developing a community project with Florida-based non-profit Philanthropy Tank. Their initiative was recently awarded $13,000 to create Bmore Fresh. A renovated city bus grocery store features shelves, refrigerators and even a point-of-service sales system for those who can’t get there, Bmore Fresh will even help Baltimore residents find information about other resources including community farms and free healthy produce options.


Finalization of the bus project is slated for late July as they prepare to open by the summer’s end.


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