September 28, 2020

Coronavirus Update: Let's Focus on Food

Dear Neighbors,

The Council of Governments, or COG, is a nonprofit organization that brings together elected officials and subject matter experts across the Washington Metropolitan Area in the effort to share ideas, coordinate, address the region's major challenges. I have served on and chaired COG committees in the past, but am particularly excited to lead a newly established ad-hoc committee to focus on food security and food access across the region. The work of this new committee, dubbed the FARM Committee, is especially important as the divide between those who have access to healthy foods and those who do not is only further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Not only will we focus on urban agriculture and the food economy, but we will examine ways in which jurisdictions may enhance food recovery, food supply chain infrastructure, and food access for children and vulnerable communities.

It is my hope that this data and best-practices approach will result in policies that will improve the resilience of the region's food system, and I am very eager to get started. And so, to complement this new regional effort, I've focused this entire newsletter on food. I hope you'll find the resources in this update to be helpful and, if you'd like to learn more about the new FARM Committee, please see COG's latest press release and the video below.

Regards,

Mary

Please see coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates & resources on COVID-19

If you know someone who would like to receive these updates directly, he or she may sign up through marycheh.com

The Streatery Winter Grant Application Program is Open!

Eating Outdoors this Winter - In order to help restaurants continue their outdoor dinning operations as the weather cools, the District is now offering winterization grants for local restaurants through the Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program. These funds may be used to purchase heaters, propane, lighting, furniture, and tents (rental or purchase).

The Office of Nightlife and Culture is accepting applications now, for information on how to apply, please see: Recovery for Businesses.

Supporting Local Businesses & Restaurants - Ward 3's Main Streets are an excellent source of special events, business promotions and operations, and updates from our community's best and most beloved restaurants. Most release weekly newsletters and frequently post restaurant and local business updates on social media. Sign up for updates, volunteer, or donate to your neighborhood Main Street below:

Van Ness Main Street

Woodley Park Main Street

Glover Park Main Street

Cleveland Park Main Street

Tenleytown Main Street

District Food Resources: Meal & Grocery Distribution

Local Restaurant Partners with the DC Food Project

Spotlight on the Weekend Bag Program - The DC Food Project's weekend bags contain food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for a family of four (on average), lasting families between 10-14 days. Since March, the DC Food Project has been able to help over 2,600 families, distributing more than 320,000 meals!

Celebrate the Women's Food Fest

Embrace Healthy Habits During the Pandemic

Stay Healthy During COVID-19 - Dr. Neal Barnard and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has shared three key health recommendations to improve one's health during the coronavirus pandemic: quit smoking or vaping, optimize your medications, and boost your intake of vegetables and fruit while decreasing meat and fat consumption.

For more information, please reference the image below, visit PCRM.org/COVID, and watch the following video by Dr. Barnard on the link between diet and coronavirus outcomes: Healthful Foods.

Upcoming Event: Virtual Cider Tasting

Reduce Food Waste At Home & In Your Community

Feed More, Waste Less - The global pandemic has revealed the need for a much more resilient food system—one that sustains the earth and provides sufficient, nutritious food for all who need it. That is why Manna Food Center and the DC Food Recovery Working Group have joined together to co-host Food Recovery Week 2020.

Food Recovery Week 2020 offers residents engaging, educational, and free virtual events with the aim of helping individuals and communities become more food resilient. The week of events include a training on composting, cooking classes, food preservation instruction, easy things residents can do at home to reduce food waste, and ways to support community efforts to increase food security for all.

Click here for the full calendar of events!

From DC Food Policy Council Director Ona Balkus:

The Federal Government is Failing Communities Suffering from Food Insecurity

An Excerpt from The Appeal - By Ona Balkus

"Food insecurity is not an acute emergency, but rather a chronic condition for low-income Americans that existed long before the current public health emergency. The USDA defines food insecurity as the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Without meaningful, structural change, this problem will long outlast the COVID-19 pandemic...

...COVID-19 has nearly doubled the rate of food insecurity in the United States, from 11.1 percent to approximately 21.9 percent among adults. And this increase has once again weighed most heavily on communities of color, with food insecurity increasing by twice as much in Black and Latinx households as in white households. COVID-19 has also presented new challenges for access to food."

Read the Full Story

Edible Pawpaw Fruit has Arrived

Update from the Attorney General:

Urging the USDA to Remove Red Tape Threatening SNAP

Protecting SNAP Access - Attorney General Karl A. Racine is leading a group of 22 states and New York City in urging the Trump administration to waive certain administrative burdens so that states can expedite the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to residents during the pandemic, including approximately 133,000 District residents.

SNAP, commonly known as “food stamps,” is our country’s most important anti-hunger program and a critical part of federal and state efforts to help lift people out of poverty. The program provides people with limited incomes the opportunity to buy nutritious food that they otherwise could not afford.

“Tens of thousands of people who rely on food assistance could go hungry if the Trump administration refuses to waive burdensome requirements for states administering SNAP benefits during a pandemic with limited resources.” —AG Racine

For more on this effort, please see: SNAP Access.

Quick Read: Public Health, Sugary Drinks, & the Pandemic

Highlighting Innovation from a Ward 3 Restaurateur

From The Washington City Paper - Medium Rare Owner Mark Bucher’s New Goal is Feeding Kids Restaurant Food From Fridges

His vision is for restaurants to prepare the meals, giving them a fresh revenue stream during the pandemic.

Restaurateur Mark Bucher and his team at Medium Rare have prepared and delivered 10,000 free steak dinners to hungry, home-bound seniors since the start of the pandemic in March. On Mother’s Day, he went big by sending 350 free brunches to local moms over 70 years old. Now Bucher, who co-owns steakhouses in Cleveland Park, Arlington, and Bethesda, is turning his attention to a younger population in need of regular nutritious meals—food insecure students...

...“Coming back from the pandemic, restaurants are going to need to do more than just serve customers,” Bucher says. He points out that the failure rate of restaurants was already high before COVID-19 necessitated reduced seating capacities. “Restaurants need to change their model. I’m going to help them by creating a self-sustaining manufacturing process where restaurants will make contract food and get paid for it in the communities that support them.”

Read the Full Story

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

DC Central Kitchen Named "Best Food Nonprofit"

Best of DC - DC Central Kitchen was named the 'Best Food Nonprofit' in the Washington City Paper's 'Best of DC' issue! DC Central Kitchen is an iconic nonprofit that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. To learn more and support their life-changing work, please click here.

DC Central Kitchen's annual Capitol Food Fight is going virtual this year! This year’s culinary battle will feature celebrity participants (including Chef José Andrés, restaurateur Spike Mendelsohn, Top Chef contestant Eric Adjepong, and Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman) and special food and drink bites for pick-up ahead of the competition on November 18th. For more on how to join the virtual Capitol Food Fight this year, please see: https://capitalfoodfight.org/.

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to reach us via phone through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services requests.

FOLLOW MARY