D.C. organization helps hungry residents in ‘food deserts’ (WJLA-TV ABC 7 Washington, D.C.)

WJLA-TV ABC 7 Washington
(7/14/2014 2:46 PM, Monica McNutt)

WASHINGTON (WJLA) - Easy access to fresh produce is still a problem for some district residents - but instead of waiting on the arrival of businesses, The D.C. Green Scheme decided to equip residents in Wards 7 and 8 to tackle the issue with their own hands.

In 2011 the nonprofit organization The D.C. Green Scheme was created to help raise environmental awareness in low-income communities in the district.

“We saw that the low-income communities weren’t engaging into the health and environmental movement as much as we thought they should be involved,” Ronnie Webb, co-founder of The D.C. Green Scheme, said.

The organization has built two fresh produce gardens in Southeast D.C. - one in the Wheeler Terrace neighborhood and the other in Lincoln Heights - and has helped to revamp other gardens in the city. The communities were selected through a partnership with the D.C. Housing Authority.