About 30 million Americans live in a food desert, an area where access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy food is lacking. You can help eliminate this problem by giving to food deserts via your time, fiscally, or by producing produce for food deserts. How do you donate to food deserts? Read on to learn about food desert organizations and nonprofits.
Donate to Food Deserts
Of course, you can donate money to food desert organizations and nonprofits, or you can volunteer. Community gardens are increasingly popular with the goal of growing nutritious foods right in the community that most need access to healthy foods. They often need volunteers, but if you have a productive garden of your own, you can also donate produce for food deserts.
To volunteer at your local community garden, contact the American Community Gardening Association. They can provide lists and maps of community gardens in your area.
If you have an abundance of homegrown produce, consider giving to food deserts through your local food pantry. Foodpantries.org or Feeding America are two resources that can help you locate those nearest you.
Food Desert Organizations
There are several food desert organization and nonprofits fighting the good fight against hunger in America and to promote healthful eating.
- The Food Trust helps by educating schoolchildren, working with local stores to provide healthier food options, managing farmer’s markets in food deserts, and encouraging fresh food retail development. The Food Trust also connects community members to local government programs, donators, nonprofits, and others who advocate for healthy food availability in small stores like convenience stores.
- Produce for Better Health Foundation provides resources for fresh food marketing and education.
- Wholesome Wave is a food desert nonprofit that strives to make food more affordable and accessible. They work with farmers, producers, and distributors in more than 40 states to help low-income people have better access to produce for food deserts.
- The Food Empowerment Projects is another food desert organization that seeks to change food injustices, not only in food deserts but through education on the abuse of livestock, unfair working conditions for farm workers, and the depletion of natural resources to name a few.
- Lastly, another way of giving to food deserts is to join Thrive Market (or similar membership service), an online market that strives to make healthy eating easy and affordable for all. Customers can buy healthy and natural food at wholesale prices. They can donate a free membership to a low-income person or family with each membership that is purchased. Additionally, becoming a member of your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a great way to also donate locally grown food to those in need.