Food insecurity affects many Americans and especially those in Whatcom County. Although food insecurity occurs for a number of reasons, one cause is a lack of access to food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, despite having the means to buy it. This creates a Food Desert.
This is not ok, anywhere. Especially in our backyard!

“According to the USDA, a food desert occurs when more than 33% of the population in urban spaces is further than one mile from a supermarket. In a rural setting, 33% of people must be more than 10 miles from a supermarket. By this standard, over 18 million people lived in food deserts in 2019.”*

At Echoes we find this unacceptable.

When we discovered not only a food desert and monopoly to not open another grocery store in north Bellingham, we were grateful to learn about the work of the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters and what they have been doing to address the food desert created in 2016.

Together we are helping to fill 3 food boxes in the Birchwood Neighborhood on the 4th Tuesday of the month! We collect donations for filling boxes at our Dinner Church on the 4th Monday, this month 10/28 @ 6:30pm @ 2116 Walnut Street.

Bring your shelf stable foods or money to help purchase foods to fill the boxes! We so appreciate your help to share food and share love with our neighbors!

Here’s a great article about the work of BFFD!

*https://www.morningagclips.com/hungry-in-america-exploring-the-food-desert-crisis/