Community Food Security - read the Hunger Commission's food access study and download free food access study materials including curriculum for nutrition education workshops.

Conclusion

Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento are two communities that portray the effects that prolonged barriers to food access can create, and yet show promise for a more food secure community system through the residents' willingness to find solutions through community action. The current challenges residents are facing, including the lack of a large retail-chain store that offers a variety of affordable prices for food, low quality produce and meat, and high transportation prices to stores that supply quality, affordable food, sets up residents for a challenge to stretch their food dollars beyond normal demands. Unfortunately, many are not meeting this monthly challenge because the way the community is set up is forcing people with the least amount of fiscal resources to spend the most money on purchasing food. A significant percentage of business is leaving the Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento communities in order to shop in bulk at larger stores outside of the area. Present community sources must be improved, not only to advance the quality of life of the residents of Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento, but also to stimulate local business. Weinberg wrote in his Urban supermarket study, "The location of more stores in these areas will not only aid low-income people in using their food purchasing dollars more effectively, it will assist in badly needed business development, retail activity, and job creation to help combat neighborhood deterioration." Several different food resources cited by residents including outside grocery stores, neighborhood markets, convenient stores, Farmers' Markets, community gardens, and delivery services illustrate that there is a range of solutions to improving food access and many possibilities to expand the food market within the community. Improvement of local store conditions, a larger supply of produce and meat, active food delivery services, and an expansion of community gardens are just some of the possibilities that will break down the barriers to getting food and help build a food secure community structure.

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