San Francisco’s Bayview district struggles to emerge from meals desert
Tiffany Carter grew up on foods grown in her grandmother’s garden. Plums, lemons, and apples fell from branches and practically landed on her plate. Crispy kale, harvested from the same garden, was a staple food.
But Carter’s childhood is not the norm in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, where she grew up. Today, most residents don’t even have access to a well-stocked grocery store, let alone a backyard garden.
“It definitely has an impact on your psyche,” she said of the lack of food. “San Francisco is known as the Food City. People literally come from all over the world to eat here, but they don’t come to Bayview. “
Eating desert
The United States Department of Agriculture defines a “food wasteland” as a “low-income census district in which a significant proportion of the population does not have easy access to a supermarket or large grocery store.”
By that definition, the vast majority of zip code 94124 – which includes Bayview-Hunters Point – is qualified.
There are only two major grocery stores in the Bayview neighborhood – Grocery Outlet and Foods Co. – but none of these stores meet the needs of the community, especially when it comes to fresh produce and a range of ingredient options.
Local residents have gathered for a permanent solution for years, but many of the more upscale brands have poked fun at the idea of invading the neighborhood. Others have come and gone. Fresh and Easy was closed in 2013. Duc Loi’s Pantry was closed in 2019.
“We were a food wasteland and people outside of Bayview were okay with that,” said supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the neighborhood. “Things are changing, but only because we focus on creating more food security.”
The result is widespread food insecurity, or uncertainty about how to get enough nutrition to maintain a healthy diet. Instead, people turn to mom and pop stores and gas stations, where the shelves are lined with processed produce, or they eschew eating enough altogether.
“Anyone who thinks (food security) is an abstract concept is privileged to have these things already,” said LySlynn Lacoste, executive director of the community organization BMAGIC. “I think what families fight for is just the bare essentials, the bare minimum, so that they can have what others take for granted.”
Carter, who tries to combine her grandmother’s cuisine with fresh produce at her Boug Cali pop-up restaurant, hopes to change people’s perception of what is possible for the Bayview and the people who live there.
“We didn’t know anything about farmers’ markets and other options,” she said of much of her childhood. “I had to leave my church and see other things in different neighborhoods. We want whole foods here. “
There’s a straight line between the health risks Bayview residents face and the lack of healthy food nearby.
According to the 2019 Community Needs Assessment, a triennial report issued by the San Francisco Department of Health, inadequate diet and lack of physical activity contribute to nine of the top 15 causes of premature death in San Francisco: heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, prostate cancer , Colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer and lung cancer.
The zip code 94124 has consistently had some of the worst health indicators compared to other citywide. Residents here are more likely to have cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the area has one of the highest rates of avoidable emergency rooms and obesity in San Francisco.
“People have said it was genetics and poverty, which means it was the blacks’ fault,” said Michelle Pierce, executive director of Bayview-Hunters Point Community Advocates, a local nonprofit. “However, we still have the same health results. That said, it’s not a genetic thing. There are environmental pressures that need to be addressed. “
Lawyers, community leaders and elected officials point out a number of measures to improve access to food in Bayview and, consequently, improve the health of residents.
Helping each other
Bayview-Hunters Point was devastated by the pandemic. On November 11, it had by far the highest case rate of any neighborhood in The City: 1,377 confirmed positive cases per 10,000 residents, according to DPH data. The closest is the tenderloin with 970 cases per 10,000 inhabitants.
The neighborhood demonstrated the power of mutual aid among parishioners. Almost immediately, pop-up grocery banks and senior home delivery services sprang up, and community institutions like the Bayview Opera House and the YMCA stepped up service delivery and support.
They provided all kinds of help, but these groups had one thing in common: the power of established relationships.
Brittney Doyle was already running WISE Health, a public health organization providing advice and projects in underserved communities, when the pandemic broke out. She was able to start home delivery of groceries the same day the on-site lodging issue came into effect, an achievement she attributes to existing trust and knowledge of how to deliver groceries that the People actually eat.
“I know the participants and their families, and I have an insight into what the community really needs,” she said. “With this established relationship, I was able to redirect my business very quickly and identify needs.”
The city has provided funding and other support to grassroots food security groups. However, a December 2020 report from the COVID-19 Command Center, which led much of the emergency response in San Francisco, found that coordination between local government, existing organizations that can deliver large-scale food, and these grassroots groups should be improved .
“While this coordination is on an ad hoc basis, it is necessary to develop a sustainable strategy for coordinating these partnerships to ensure that fear or suspicion is not a barrier for individuals in need of access to food aid programs,” it says.
“Market to strengthen food”
Grocery banks and other delivery models are essential for now, but the ultimate goal of many community members is that Bayview residents have the right to choose their own food.
“The chalkboard is your Whole Foods. The blackboard is your safeway, ”said Frommer. “It is wonderful that it is available, but there is no choice.”
Enter the Food Empowerment Market, a place where people can pick up the food they want either at a discounted price or for free. Buyers could choose their own ingredients, and they would also have access to a communal kitchen or delivery service for the elderly and people with reduced mobility.
The idea grew out of a law introduced by District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, which is allocating $ 1.5 million from the Human Services Agency to the project. It would be run by a local non-profit and take the physical space of the now-shattered Duc Loi’s Pantry on Third Street.
Walton endorses the idea, saying it would provide residents with unprecedented healthy choices, and he hopes the city will stand behind any deal that is struck between the current owners of the empty space and the Human Services Agency.
Focus on seniors and families
Food insecurity is twice as likely to affect Latinos and black seniors in San Francisco, according to the city’s COVID-19 Command Center report. Many of them live in Bayview-Hunters Point and have historically had low enrollment rates for distribution and grocery delivery programs, making them difficult to reach.
Families experience the risks of living in a food desert early and intensely.
Nearly 27% of pregnant Latina mothers and 20% of black mothers in San Francisco don’t know where their next healthy meal is coming from. Children from the same families are also most likely to consume fast food than their white peers.
“We see children come to the centers hungry,” said Gina Frommer, CEO of the San Francisco Children’s Council. “Children who are hungry don’t learn. Children who are hungry are angry. “
All efforts to address food insecurity should focus on seniors and families, two groups particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, say proponents and officials. Not only does this contribute to healthier communities, it also begins on the path to ensuring equal opportunities and access for all residents.
“That wouldn’t happen to white kids in San Francisco,” Frommer said.
cgraf@sfexaminer.com
