Ward 7 Economic Development Advisory Council March 25, 2021 Mayor Muriel E. Bowser 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20004 Re: Funding Request for the East End Grocery Initiative Act of 2018 Dear Mayor Bowser: First, thank you for your leadership as we head into the FY22 budget cycle. As you have pointed out many times, historically marginalized members of our community are still in need of support, particularly when it comes to food security. Nowhere is this more evident than East of the Anacostia River. indeed, the need in Wards 7 and 8 have never been more apparent than during the current COVID-19 Pandemic. Even under “normal” circumstances, differences between households experiencing low food security and those truly affected are statistically significant, contributing directly to chronic illnesses such as childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Further, one’s food security status is more strongly predictive of illness and death than income. And this has never played out lke it has recently. Since full-service grocery stores are so few in the food deserts of Wards 7 and 8, the shelves and freezers at these few stores were cleared in a matter of hours once uncertainty hit about COVID-19 and its likely impact on supply and demand. ‘+ Most East of the River residents had to take significant time to either drive, take public transportation, or walk long distances to the closest food store. ‘© The inaccessibility of food in these neighborhoods made what was already an untenable situation that much worse. The “East End Grocery Incentive Act” was passed out of a sense of enormous urgency. Now to fund the program requires an investment of $300 million and the current situation makes funding and implementation of the Act imperative. We understand that you have some very difficult budget decisions in front of you in the coming weeks and we are sensitive to the enormous pressure accompanying these decisions. Funding the Act in thisFY22 budget cycle will, however, decrease food insecurity and provide sustenance and hope for painfully underserved communities. Thank you. Sincerely, (Name) {Organization) cc: Deputy Mayor John J, Falcicchio