Detroit food desert puts lives in danger

Date: June 20, 2007
By: ALEJANDRO BODIPO-MEMBA, FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Source: Detroit Free Press

Study: Urban families suffering

A new study sponsored by LaSalle Bank found that about 550,000 people in Detroit live in a so-called food desert and must travel twice as far to reach the closest mainstream grocer as they do to get to a fringe location, such as a party store, gas station or a fast-food restaurant.

Leaders of metro Detroit's public health and community development sectors met at the Detroit Athletic Club on Tuesday to discuss the study's findings on the impact that a lack of healthy foods and grocery stores in Detroit has on the population.
A food desert is defined as "an area that has no or very distant mainstream grocers."

The study's author, Mari Gallagher, spoke about the problems that have led to the vast food imbalance in the nation's 11th-largest city and offered public policy strategies to create greater access to healthy foods for urban families.

"It is no secret that Detroit, like many other cities, will suffer from disease at problem levels," said Phyllis Meadows, director and public health officer for the city. "These conditions impact everyone, and they are bigger than any one solution."

LaSalle commissioned the Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group in Chicago to look at how a lack of healthy food options in Detroit is contributing to the devolution of the city's public health care system and the local economy.

"Detroit is far out of balance when it comes to food choices ... and is an even tougher place in which to do simple things, such as make a trip to the grocery store," Gallagher said. "We see a strong statistical relationship between food and health, and the bottom line is that unless access to healthy food greatly improves, Detroit residents will continue to have greater rates of premature illness and death compared to residents who live in areas with healthy food options."

Gallagher measured the distance from every block in the city and the surrounding metro area to the closest grocery store, fast-food restaurant and other food venues.

The biggest contributor to food deserts, Gallagher said, is that the primary retailers of USDA food stamps are convenience stores, liquor stores and pharmacies. Only 8% of all Detroit food retailers that accept food stamps are grocery stores or supermarkets, the study found.

The study suggests that Detroiters will die younger than their metro Detroit counterparts as a result of the stark food imbalance in the city. Statistically, residents lose a combined 11 years of life for every 100 people in Detroit compared to 7 years of life lost throughout metro Detroit.

For information, go to www.marigallagher.com.

Contact ALEJANDRO BODIPO-MEMBA at 313-222-5008 or abodipo@freepress.com.

Do You Know These Voices?

"I'm looking for help to pay my utility bill"

"I'm concerned about my mental health"

"I know a family that needs food assistance"

"My friend told me to call 2-1-1 after I lost my job"

Just a couple days ago, I listened in to our 2-1-1 Call Center. Everyday, hundreds of people call about their needs and ways to get help through hard and trying times.

Do you know anyone that could use 2-1-1?

Our friends, family and colleagues all across metro-Detroit face unique challenges everyday. But so few know how much help is out there for them and that 2-1-1 can assist with their needs.

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Basic Needs

Information and referral Systems are Critical

More resources -- people's time, talent and treasure -- are needed

Demonstrate Success by Working Together Regionally

When discussing basic needs, those were three things people cared most about. From food and shelter to utility assistance and disaster relief, people overwhelmingly supported the action item on maintaining the social safety net.
One survey comment was adamant:
"Community surveys often place emphasis on issues that are getting the most attention at the moment; however, basic human needs are always a concern ... Dollars should be allocated in a way that recognize these before letting marketing and opinion trump what professionals in the nonprofit sector know about basic needs through experience and research-based data collection."

As United Way gets focused on key community issues, we know we must sustain support for the basic needs of the region. Will there be realignment of resources and changes in our approach to funding? Likely. But as a foundation to our work, critical to our mission, and in line with the region's aspirations, we know basic needs and the safety net are crucial to our long term success.

What do you think basic needs should include? How wide is the scope of services?

Getting Help

What did the community have to say in the survey about getting help?

"Often people in need are in such a position that they don't have the wherewithal, the strength or the support group to search for the organization/people/resources they need," said one respondent who indicated getting help should be a priority for our community. What is the need? Overwhelmingly, the response came: a need for an accessible, central information and referral resource.

"There should be a common, well-known place in the tri-county area that people can call or visit to find out what services are available and where to get them." Those who needed assistance could access a central source to find out how to:

• Maintain or reclaim self-sufficiency for themselves, their children and families
• Maintain or make possible cleaner, safer and more diverse communities
• Access services for specific target groups, including youth, seniors, low-income individuals and families, developmentally disabled individuals, etc.
• Receive financial and tax assistance

"Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge...above all, the availability of help and how to find it."

Are you aware of 211? It's a call center providing access to information and referral for metropolitan Detroit's health and human service needs. Check it out and tell us what you think. How can it be further leveraged in our community?