IS YOUNGSTOWN A FOOD DESERT?

In short, yes.
A food desert is an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. In
Youngstown there is a significant number of residents at least one mile away from a grocery
store. Adding in the number of residents in Youngstown that is a half mile from a grocery store,
the radius of the food dessert is even greater.
This distance to a grocery store is significant for those who do not have access to a vehicle, and
those who do have access must also have the income to afford the food as well as travel
sometimes out of the city to find a grocery store.
There are very few grocery stores in the vicinity of Youngstown although the cost of fresh fruit
is another reason why it is not available to the low income area. To help fight this, YNDC is in
collaboration with Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley and other local partners and
launched the SNAP Double-Up program
For every $5 spent on fruits or vegetables the participant receives a $5 voucher for that grocery
store. Depending on the location, the participant can receive up to $10-$30 per day. The
participating locations are:
Save-A-Lot ($10 per day)
South Ave- 2725 South Ave, Youngstown OH; Gypsy Lane- 653 Gypsy Ln. Youngstown OH;
Lincoln Knolls- 2998 McCartney Rd. Youngstown OH; Warren- 1020 North Park Ave. Warren OH
Sparkle ($10 per day)
Cornersburg- 3623 S. Meridian Rd. Youngstown OH; South Ave- 4121 South Ave. Youngstown
OH; Parkman Rd- 2587 Parkman Rd. NW Warren OH; Niles- 140 N Main St. Niles OH
IGA ($10 per day)
655 Creed St. Struthers OH
Cultivate Café ($30 per day)
901 Elm St. Youngstown OH
For more information Visit YNDC.org

Thank you,
Emily Evans