INDIANAPOLIS — When you think of a community food pantry, you may think of canned goods, but an Indy nonprofit is on a mission to give families in need more fresh food options.
"Black Women in Charge" is teaming up with a local grocery store and farmer's market to offer biweekly food vouchers. They'll allow people to buy fresh produce and natural items. This is specifically for families or people living in food deserts.
A food desert is an urban area where it's difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Indianapolis has more food deserts than you might think, organizers say.
"A lot of the areas that are facing food deserts are because they don't have access to transportation," said Lauren Neely, a member of the nonprofit led by mostly college-aged students. "They don't have grocery stores that are in reasonable distance to their location, so it's hard for individuals to want to go out in their communities and get healthier fruits and vegetables."
Black Women in Charge formed last summer, with its young members being vocal about social change and racial equality. They've since expanded to tackle other issues they see affecting their surrounding communities.
"I think food deserts are not something that are talked about enough," Langdan Willoughby said. "And so that's where the need grew from — the community awareness, and we decided to provide a solution."
Georgetown Market, on the city's northwest side and City Market, located downtown, have partnered with Black Women In Charge to provide $80 biweekly vouchers.
They are currently accepting a limited amount of applicants. You can click here for more info.
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