What
The food insecurity rate in DC increased to roughly 16 percent this year, up from 10.6 percent before the pandemic. Join us for an interactive program covering new tactics to stop hunger inequities. You will have a chance to engage with the founders of two organizations with fresh approaches to food access that could be game-changers in the fight against hunger.
Featured Guests:
President of the Breadcoin Foundation and Ph.D. Economist Scott Borger will discuss how a DC-based food token is innovating community partnerships around food and microloans. Breadcoin is an alternative payment system designed to empower and feed underserved communities. They collaborate with local food vendors to provide a hot meal for those in need with the dignity of choice. Partner organizations use Breadcoin tokens to incentivize students, reward neighborly behavior, support caregivers, and provide food at community events. Come and hear how Breadcoin is continuing to grow, with more than 30 locations in DC and Baltimore.
Lauren Schweder Biel is the Co-Founder of DC Greens. DC Greens uses the levers of food education, food access, and food policy to advance food justice in the nation’s capital. One of the signature initiatives of DC Greens is the DC Produce Plus Program they run with the DC Department of Health. Through this program, anyone who is on Medicaid or qualifies as low-income can go to any farmer’s market in DC and receive $10 worth of fruits and vegetables. They also run the DC Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program which empowers doctors to write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, which can then be redeemed at any of the farmer’s markets in the city. The vision of DC Greens is that one day all people will be powered by food that sustains the environment, reinvests in local economies, and improves well-being and health.