D.C. Hunger Solutions Applauds Increased Grocery Store Access in the District

Statement attributable to Beverley Wheeler, director, D.C. Hunger Solutions 

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2022 – D.C. Hunger Solutions applauds the opening of a new grocery store in Ward 7. This, along with several other new and incoming retailers, is a significant step to help bridge the grocery gap in our city.  

For over 10 years, D.C. Hunger Solutions has tracked the accessibility of full-service grocery stores across the city. Our most recent report, Still Minding the Grocery Gap in D.C.: A 2021 Update, shows that there are still disparities between wards with the lowest and highest incomes regarding residents’ access to full-service grocery stores. Neighborhood grocery stores are critical to providing residents with more equitable access to healthy food. Increased access to grocery stores also allows residents to use their federal nutrition program benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to access nutritious and affordable food. 

We are excited to see the continuing efforts and political will to increase grocery store access to all D.C. residents. We remain encouraged that more retailers will become a part of our beloved community and work alongside us to combat hunger in the nation’s capital. 

### 

About D.C. Hunger Solutions 

D.C. Hunger Solutions, founded in 2002 as an initiative of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), works to create a hunger-free community and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income people in the District of Columbia. To learn more about D.C. Hunger Solutions, visit www.dchunger.org.