A $5.5 Million Program
This free store — called the Food Empowerment Market — is located in San Francisco and has just opened up to residents who qualify this past Sunday.
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Those who are eligible to be a part of the program can receive groceries in the market for free.
Easing Burdens
According to supporters of this program, this marketplace was created to help ease some of the burdens that food stamp holders may have towards the end of the month when their resources are running low.
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As many people in San Francisco increasingly suffer from food insecurity thanks to high prices seen at grocery stores, the creators of this program are hoping to help out those who may be hurting the most.
A “Supplemental” Program
Geoffrea Morris pushed for this program’s legislation back in 2021. Now that it has officially opened this past weekend, Morris is explaining that this marketplace is only supposed to be a “supplemental” source for people.
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“This 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,” Morris stated.
Helping Those Who Are Struggling
Morris further stated that those who are struggling with food insecurity likely have other problems they’re trying to deal with. This marketplace was designed to help these people.
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“If you’re having food insecurity you’re 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,” Morris explained.
How the Marketplace Works
Upon walking into this “free” marketplace, one can see that it appears to look like a regular grocery store in any city in the United States.
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However, only those qualified for this program can shop for free here. When checking out, all items are weighed and scanned so that inventory is kept up to date.
Taxpayers Are Paying for This Program
Some critics in California have blasted this program, as taxpayers are paying millions of dollars to offer free food to only some of its residents of San Francisco.
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However, supporters of this program have explained that they’re simply trying to help out those who face the most struggles, particularly when it comes to being able to afford food.
High Inflation at Grocery Stores
High inflation seen throughout the United States has caused food items at grocery stores to skyrocket in price in only the last few years.
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While average Americans have struggled under these high prices, those who rely on food benefit programs such as SNAP have increasingly had to deal with food insecurity.
San Francisco’s Ongoing Problems
San Francisco has faced certain problems that many other major cities in the U.S. have, especially thanks to high housing costs and high inflation.
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However, this Golden State city has seen even more severe issues within its city limits than other American towns, particularly when it comes to its homelessness problem.
City Programs for the Homeless
For years now, San Francisco has enacted various types of programs, all in an attempt to help solve — or lessen — the city’s homelessness problem.
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Many of these programs have faced fierce criticism over the years. Supporters of these programs have long explained that they’re trying to combat drug addiction and homelessness with these programs — though many disagree with this assessment.
The Latest California Solution
This free marketplace in San Francisco comes only a few weeks after city residents criticized the local government when they learned that a program was offering free vodka and beer to homeless people who were alcoholics.
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Many residents were aghast over this program, as they didn’t believe it would help those who were struggling with both addiction and homelessness get better. However, supporters of this program have stated that regimented doses of alcohol could help addicts.
Future San Francisco Programs
San Francisco is considered by many to be one of the most progressive and liberal cities in California — and in the entire United States.
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In the near future, as the city continues to deal with its unique problems, people will likely continue to see similar programs attempting to help relieve some residents’ burdens.