Hunger Hits Detroit's Middle Class

[DainBramaged]

Food has long been an issue in this city without a major supermarket. Now demand for assistance is rising, affecting a whole new set of people.


On a side street in an old industrial neighborhood, a delivery man stacks a dolly of goods outside a store. Ten feet away stands another man clad in military fatigues, combat boots and what appears to be a flak jacket. He looks straight out of Baghdad. But this isn't Iraq. It's southeast Detroit, and he's there to guard the groceries.

"No pictures, put the camera down," he yells. My companion and I, on a tour of how people in this city are using urban farms to grow their own food, speed off.

In this recession-racked town, the lack of food is a serious problem. It's a theme that comes up again and again in conversations in Detroit. There isn't a single major chain supermarket in the city, forcing residents to buy food from corner stores. Often less healthy and more expensive food.

As the area's economy worsens --unemployment was over 16% in July -- food stamp applications and pantry visits have surged.

Detroiters have responded to this crisis. Huge amounts of vacant land has led to a resurgence in urban farming. Volunteers at local food pantries have also increased.

But the food crunch is intensifying, and spreading to people not used to dealing with hunger. As middle class workers lose their jobs, the same folks that used to donate to soup kitchens and pantries have become their fastest growing set of recipients.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/06/news/economy/detroit_food/index.htm?postversion=2009080610

[MidwestRick]

1. no surprise

Detroit has always had issues with a lack of groceries in the city limits. It was always the reason that kept me from moving into the city. The idea of having to drive 20+ minutes to get to a grocery chain in the suburbs was always the big thing that kept me away. Sure there are small corner stores and Eastern Market, but they were a bit pricier than the large chains.

[Fire1]

3. Eastern Mkt., pricey?????? No way!!! n/t

[susanna]

7. Agreed. I pay far less at EM than any chain...for better food. n/t

[Fire1]

8. True THAT!!!!! LOL!! n/t

[Fire1]

9. Dupe.

[sasquatch]

2. They need the city to make a large market like they have in Paris

[Fire1]

4. THAT bad boy is BEAUTIFUL, ain't it????? They've got

E VER Y THING under ONE ROOF!!!

[sasquatch]

5. Yeah, but can we do things like that in this country anymore though

[Fire1]

6. Well.....there's always Meijer and Walmart!!! LOL!!!

[yodermon]

10. And if those poor sots choose to consume HFCS, then fuck em, they should know better

Let their kids get fat & diabetic, caveat emptor.

:sarcasm:

(sorry still fuming from elsewhere on DU)

[Orsino]

11. Perhaps this will get a mention on TV...

...between shots of the town hall 'turfers.

[Jkid]

12. It won't get mentioned on the Local TV News in Detriot.

They're too focused on crime instead on focusing on the real issues. Most of their audience are those living in suburbs.

[Jkid]

13. This is a great opptunity for the local government to step in

...and create a non-profit supermarket on its own.

[MidwestRick]

14. Agreed...however

The city is in a financial mess (what else is new). They are cutting programs and city employees and the city is continually losing it's tax base. GM is threatening to leave the city...all of those employees are tax payers while working within city limits.

If the city council and mayor Bing could create a np market for the people of the city, they would certainly be headed in the right direction.