How Winston-Salem City Council is Tackling Food Insecurity: Innovative Solutions for a Healthier Community

Winston-Salem is working on ways to tackle food insecurity in its underserved neighborhoods.

Many areas in the city are considered food deserts. That means people living there have a hard time finding grocery stores within a reasonable distance. This problem affects all but one of the city’s wards. The Hispanic community feels this impact the most. Last year, the Second Harvest Food Bank served more Latinos than any other group.

This information comes from the latest Food Resilience report shared at a city council meeting. The team spent the past year exploring solutions to this pressing issue. Shaleen Miller, who leads the city’s sustainability department, shared that they talked to over 300 residents about their challenges in getting food.

“Many people worry about whether they can afford food, and a lot mentioned high prices,” Miller noted. “Distance to grocery stores is another big issue.”

Some ideas on the table include subsidizing online grocery deliveries, launching mobile grocery trucks, and looking at the public transit rules about carrying bags. Right now, bus riders can only take four bags at a time.

No specific actions were decided during the meeting, but city council members plan to keep this conversation going in future meetings.