בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

Recite the blessing over the wine.

The issue of food justice pertains to whether one can access food but more specifically, whether healthful foods are available to individuals and communities. Food deserts are not necessarily referring to an absence of food vendors in a community, but rather the
inaccessibility of fresh and unprocessed foods within the designated area.

The effects of food deserts disproportionately affect individuals who do not have the transportation or financial
resources necessary for travel to purchase fresh and perishable foods and as a result, disproportionately impact low income families and communities.vii

In DC specifically

• One in seven D.C. households is struggling against hunger, with 14.5% of the residents being food insecure (DC Hunger Solutions, n.d.; Capital Area Food Bank, 2015).
• DC Hunger Solutions (n.d.) estimates that 4.9% of that population suffers from very low food insecurity.

Who here at the table has groups that work with the hungry and food insecure in DC, MD, or VA they'd like to share?