In June of 2021 the International District Food Hub opened Fridays biweekly as a free food pantry to serve I.D. residents located at Whittier Elementary. The Neighborhood Food Hub (NFH) Committee made up of growing experts, community organizers, and food distributors, was formed and funded under the NFH EPA grant. They came together to stock the shelves they built with locally grown perishables and donated non-perishables, at first serving only 35-60 families (roughly 200 individuals). Now, a year and a half later, the Food Hub was adopted by the International District Healthy Communities Coalition (IDHCC), who staffed the hub with a Program Director, cooks, an Outreach Coordinator, and Internal Operations Coordinator, who have grown the NFH to serve around 120-150 families every two weeks (roughly 400-500 individuals), not only with locally grown organic food and non-perishables, but also with fresh cooked meals using food from the pantry to demonstrate a range of recipes as well. In addition, the NFH has grown to incorporate a Free Closet, stocked with school supplies, toys, clothes, and more.
For more information, check out our IDHCC website.
Access Characteristics Map
- Roughly 19,054 live farther than .5 miles from a store or distribution
- Roughly 26,194 live farther than .5 from a full service grocery store
- Seniors might experience higher rates of inaccessibility due to transportation
- Historically many store closures
