FOOD INSECURITY
The Old Louisville Fresh Stop Market exists because a normal
grocery store does not. Although the area has a high concentration
of residents, including subsidized housing for seniors, the nearest
grocery is two and a half miles away. For those thwarted by dis-
abilities or lack of transportation, that distance is insurmountable.
“In some locations, Kroger’s not coming back. Family Dollar just
wants to sell alcohol, and farmers’ markets aren’t always sustainable.
This is one model that has succeeded despite the hurdles,” said Karyn
Moskowitz, Founder & Executive Director of New Roots. Moskowitz
moved to Paoli, Ind., from New York and was immediately struck
by the prevalence of food insecurity.
“My daughter and I had to rely on food pantries, and there were
barely any around. I volunteered at a Bloomington food pantry, and
that was a two hour round trip from my home. I didn’t understand
how there was no fresh food being grown in a farming community.
All those fields of crops were going to commodity crops like soybean
and corn,” she explained.
Moskowitz began to find like-minded individuals and build a
local grocery scene, but when she moved to Louisville, the whole
process had to start over again. “When I arrived around 2009, there
were three farmers’ markets that had started in Portland, but failed
for various reasons.”
If a program with any longevity was going to be built, Moskowitz
knew it must rely on community leaders organizing and educating
others. With that goal in mind, New Roots’ creation was in motion.
Today, their Fresh Stop Markets have spread across the region with
locations in Portland, Shawnee, Sun Valley, Smoketown, Jefferson-
ville, New Albany and more. There are even locations in Hazard,
Ky., and Atlanta, Ga.
Based on Cleveland’s “City Fresh” model, New Roots was de-
signed to address food insecurity in urban environments, each with
its unique set of variables. While Fresh Stop Markets are the most
prominent display of New Roots in action, the organization also
acts as an education leader in the community. Staff and volunteers
host cooking demonstrations, provide internships, speak nationally
and even internationally to support needy families.
“Food insecurity is a very complex issue,” Moskowitz stated,
listing just some of the hurdles faced by those in need. “First of all,
fresh food may be difficult to afford. There’s a limited amount of
funds in your SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Benefits Card. It may be very difficult to find fresh fruits or vegetables
anywhere near your residence. If a person with low mobility has to
walk, hitch a ride, take a bus, take two buses, these are all additional
difficulties just to get a good meal.”
Fresh Stop Market Site Leader and Farm Liaison Barbara Justice
is a New Roots volunteer who became determined to help because
she toofaced these difficulties. Justice lives in subsidized senior
housing in Old Louisville and knew the program could have a
major impact on her life.
“When I heard there were fresh vegetables, I got involved,”
Justice said. “I’m trying to get seniors interested, and it’s a tough
sell because they want grocery stores. They’re set in their ways. I’m
very optimistic though. We’re all a part of this big puzzle, and we’re
trying to feed people. I don’t think there’s anything better than that.”
Justice spoke those words during a panel discussion at “The
Future of Food Security” symposium, an August gathering of more
than a dozen local organizations all engaged in finding ways to feed
the undernourished. Others in attendance included Jefferson County
Public Schools, the American Heart Association, Dare to Care, the
Center for Health Equity and Louisville’s Cooperative Grocery.
Justice is responsible for ordering the Old Louisville Fresh Stop
Market’s food each month. By ordering and paying ahead of time,
New Roots has been able to get substantial buy-in from local farmers.
“They know they won’t lose money, which is more than you may
say for sure at a farmers’ market. Everything here is already paid
for,” Justice explained. “Then, customers pay based on their ability.
It’s $6-12 for those with limited resources, $25 for those who can
afford it, and $40 if you’re feeling generous. Everybody leaves with
the same amount of food, and there is no embarrassment for folks
coming here.”
While some in attendance at the symposium lamented the un-
willingness of big-box groceries like Kroger or Walmart to dedicate
themselves to underserved areas, Justice offered a blunt response.
“I don’t see a new grocery store coming to Old Louisville. Kroger
was there before and left. What we need is community collabo-
ration. Our organizations are doing great work. There’s room for
everyone,” she said.
Monique Quarterman, a 2018 Hunger Innovation Fellow and
speaker at the symposium, agreed. “Fresh Stop Markets, SNAP,
WIC, food recovery, farmers’ markets, free lunch and breakfast in
schools: think about Louisville as a community having all these
resources united in order to get healthier food to more people. It’s
something very special that we take for granted.”
GLMS President Dr. Wayne Tuckson was the keynote speaker
at the August event and encouraged physicians to ask a simple
question to their patients.
“Ask your patients: In the past month, was there any day when
you or anyone in your family went hungry because you not have
enough money for food? If the answer is yes, we know we’re deal-
ing with someone with food insecurity,” he explained. “Louisville
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