Cities within the Unites States have been struggling for a while to obtain fresh foods locally, however, this changes for New Orleans and Detroit, as people give back to their communities. After hurricane Katrina hit the United States in 2005, destroying parts of New Orleans, Louisiana, actor Wendell Pierce gave back to his hometown to help it flourish.Pierce heard of the Fresh Food Retailer Initiative program, which gives low-interest loans to supermarkets and grocery stores so that they can increase the amount of fresh foods available in low income areas of the city. Pierce took advantage of this program by launching his own chain of grocery stores, Sterling Farms. He opened his first store in December 2012, but plans to open many more in the coming months, focusing on neighborhoods that lack access to fresh foods. One of these neighborhoods includes the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hardest-hit by Katrina. The only stores within walking distance of that area are dollar stores, which sell items such as eggs, milk and meat, but few fresh fruits and vegetables.
Pierce hopes placing these grocery stores throughout the city, will help the people and city economically. These stores will give the inhabitants of the city access to decent grocery stores and also provide jobs. In addition to offering a great variety of healthy vegetables, each store will provide customers with a free ride home if they spend more than $50. This is a plus, as it benefits the 30% of residents who lack personal transportation to go obtain fresh foods. Hopefully, with its jobs and fresh foods, Sterling Farms can play a role in bringing people back to the city, helping it flourish once again.
New Orleans benefited from Sterling Farms, but the city of Detroit was still struggling. As of July 2013, Detroit became the largest US city to file for bankruptcy in its historic ‘low point’. The inhabitants of Detroit struggled financially as the city collapsed. But, just before the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection on July 18, Whole Foods opened a relatively low-priced version of their store in Midtown Detroit; an area where a lot of the poor live just a few blocks away. Their mission is to sell fresh foods at affordable prices. Inhabitants of the city, who regularly buy food there, claimed that having a Whole Foods in that location at the prices the food is being sold for is a game changer. The Whole Foods store has also hired 100 people from within the neighborhood as employees. This Whole Foods is one of three low-income supermarkets to open in distressed locations. The other two Whole Foods are located in New Orleans and Chicago. One can hope that in the future more markets, such as Sterling Farms and Whole Foods, will open up for inhabitants in food deserts. We can also hope, that these markets will continue to help cities flourish and provide healthy choices.
