{"id":2263271,"date":"2024-06-09T11:20:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T15:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-opens-citys-first-5-million-taxpayer-funded-free-food-market\/"},"modified":"2024-06-09T11:29:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T15:29:37","slug":"san-francisco-opens-citys-first-5-million-taxpayer-funded-free-food-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-opens-citys-first-5-million-taxpayer-funded-free-food-market\/","title":{"rendered":"San Francisco launches its first taxpayer-funded $5 million free food market"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsan-francisco-opens-citys-first-5-million-taxpayer-funded-free-food-market%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2263271&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Aid.<\/p>\n<p>San Francisco has opened its\u200d first &#8220;market&#8221; \u200dwhere eligible\u200d residents can receive free food without \u2063having to pay \u200danything at checkout. This new facility, located in the\u200c Bayview-Hunters Point area, aims to provide an alternative to \u200dtraditional food \u2062pantries while also replicating the experience of shopping at a\u2062 supermarket. \u2064Approved individuals can visit the 4000-square foot District 10 Market once a month \u2064and \u200cuse a benefits card similar to Costco to \u2064select and take home the food of their choice. This market\u200c is funded by the city&#8217;s Human Services Agency and requires residents \u200dto meet certain eligibility \u2063criteria, including living within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stimulus-check-update-direct-payment-worth-500-to-be-sent-to-minneapolis-residents-in-three-days\/\" title=\"Minneapolis residents to receive 0 direct payment in three days.\">specific zip codes<\/a>, being verified social services clients, and being referred by one of eleven community organizations within\u2064 the market&#8217;s network. The\u200b market also closely resembles a traditional supermarket, with items \u200cbeing weighed\u2064 and scanned at checkout to keep track\u2064 of inventory and maintain supply chains. The program aims to supplement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">food stamps<\/a>, especially towards the end of the month when funds may run out \u2062due to rising food \u200ccosts. The market purchases fresh produce from a local \u200branch and relies on donations\u200b from \u200cother grocery stores for shelf-stable items \u2062and toiletries. Additionally, the referral\u2062 process is designed to connect individuals with \u200cwraparound services to address \u2063other\u2063 issues they may be facing.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2013 San Francisco opened its first $5.5 million free food \u201cmarket\u201d, where approved residents can show a benefits eligibility card, put what they want in their carts, check out to keep track of outgoing inventory, and leave without paying.<\/p>\n<p>The Bayview-Hunters Point facility aims to be a food pantry alternative that replicates the supermarket experience in an area where many grocery stores have come but few have remained due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-ends-negotiations-with-nancy-pelosi-on-coronavirus-relief\/\" title=\"Donald Trump Ends Negotiations with Nancy Pelosi on Coronavirus Relief\">high crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 4000-square foot District 10 Market is the first of San Francisco\u2019s food empowerment \u201cmarkets\u201d funded by the San Francisco\u2019s Human Services Agency. Eligible individuals receive a Costo-like benefits card that allows use of the facility once per month. Eligibility is limited to individuals who live within one of three zip codes, are verified social services clients, have dependents under 25 or a qualified food-related illness, and be referred by one of eleven community organizations in the market\u2019s referral network.<\/p>\n<p>Geoffrea Morris, who spearheaded San Francisco\u2019s Food Empowerment Market legislation in 2021 while working for a county supervisor and is a senior consultant for the District 10 Market, explains the program is meant to supplement food stamps that run out towards the end of the month, especially due to rising food costs from inflation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a supplemental source for food. Food stamps should be the primary source. This is a supplemental source especially close to the end of the month when families are facing the pain, especially with inflation,\u201d Morris told The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>The facility is designed to closely replicate the supermarket experience, with individuals\u2019 items weighed and scanned upon \u201ccheck-out\u201d to keep track of inventory and manage supply chains. District 10 Market, which is operating on a $5.5 million grant from San Francisco, uses taxpayer funds to purchase high-quality fresh produce from Rodriguez Brothers Ranch in Watsonville, and largely relies on donations from other grocery stores for its shelf-stable items and toiletries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we didn\u2019t tell you it was free you\u2019d think you\u2019d have to pay,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n<p>Morris also detailed how District 10 Market\u2019s referral process is meant to ensure use of wraparound services.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re having food insecurity you\u2019re having other issues as well and you need to be engaged with the services the city has put in place to improve your life and the life of your children,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n<p>District 10 is one of San Francisco\u2019s poorest communities, and is home to some of the city\u2019s largest public housing projects. As a result of high crime, grocery stores have had a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-must-support-a-diversified-multi-layered-approach-to-space-missile-warning\/\" title=\"Congress Must Support a Diversified, Multi-Layered Approach to Space Missile Warning\">hard time staying<\/a> in businesses in the area, despite the large population.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had plenty of chains come in and out of the community. Over my lifetime plenty of chains have come in and left,\u201d recalled Morris.<\/p>\n<p>The Bayview-Hunters Point community has 40,495 residents, is home to designated United States Department of Agriculture \u201cfood desert\u201d with low fresh food availability, and a high property crime rate in the area. In the first six months of 2019, the area had reports of 143 robberies, 129 assaults, 195 burglaries, 308 motor vehicle thefts, 889 larceny thefts. Those numbers largely declined in the first six months of 2024, in which 78 robberies, 120 assaults, 174 burglaries, 353 motor vehicle thefts, 431 larceny thefts were reported, but business organizations say apparent crime reductions as reported in San Francisco and much of California are from less reporting of crime, not less actual crime.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know that there is underreporting. Since Prop 47 was passed, murder, rape and robbery increased by more than 20% in the number of crimes. Same holds true for motor vehicle theft which is up 19.8% since the passage of Proposition 47,\u201d said Matt Ross, Communications Director for Californians Against Retail &#038; Residential Theft, to The Center Square. \u201cThe only significant drop is burglary at 30% So either California is doing an amazing job at stopping burglary when every other crime stat is on the increase, or there is underreporting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Should the Bayview-Hunters Point facility meet city goals, the city plans on rolling out more facilities in other low-income districts.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Francisco launched its inaugural $5.5 million free food &#8220;market&#8221; in Bayview-Hunters Point, designed as an alternative to traditional food pantries. Approved residents can select items using a benefits card, facilitating inventory tracking, and leave without paying<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2263272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-526551572-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-526551572-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}