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Description
With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating food security concerns in the City of Boston, access to quality and affordable foods is necessary now more than ever. On this episode of Commissioners Corner, host Najya Mawasi talks with Catalina López-Ospina, Director of the Mayor's Office of Food Access, about the ways Boston is providing food security for residents and increasing access to healthy and cost effective foods.
A
Access
to
quality
and
affordable
foods
is
necessary
now
more
than
ever
before,
the
covet
19
pandemic
exacerbated
an
already
concerning
issue
for
the
city
of
boston.
Food
security,
mayor
kim
janey
is
leading
boston's
recovery
from
the
covet
pandemic.
Catalina
lopez
ospina
is
the
director
of
the
mayor's
office
of
food
access,
overseeing
food
security
initiatives
for
boston
residents
in
need
and
she's
with
us
today
on
commissioner's
corner
catalina.
Thank
you
so
much
for
joining
us
on
commissioner's
corner.
A
B
Yeah
food
security
is
a
signing
problem
and
is
defined
as
a
lack
of
consistent
nutritional
foods
for
every
household
every
person
in
the
household
to
have
a
healthy
and
active
life.
So
in
other
words,
it's
like
when
you
family,
don't
know
when
the
next
meal
is
coming
from
or
when
a
parent
they
doesn't
have
dinner
for
feed
their
kids
or
when
a
grandparent
say
this
is
my
meals
on
wheels.
But
I'm
gonna
give
you
to
my
grandson.
B
B
So
the
way
that
we
are
supporting
major
agenda
is
like
all,
our
programs
need
to
be
addressing
one
of
those
buckets
in
one
other
way.
So
if
you
see
on
affordability,
we
have
different
programs
that
what
what
the
goal
is
doing
is
like
provide
an
additional
budget
to
families
to
afford
the
food
that
they
want
and
they
they
need
and
want
for
accessibility.
It's
like.
B
We
are
open
farming
markets
everywhere
in
the
city
of
boston,
so
people
can
just
go
to
the
farm
and
market
close
to
their
home
and
they
don't
have
to
commute
for
a
better
use
of
the
programs
like
we
are
trying
to
come
up
with
a
campaign
that
that
everyone
know
the
resources
that
are
around,
so
everything
in
our
office
is
coming
on.
Those
buckets
that
are
on
the
major
agenda.
A
B
B
Dorchester
is
boston,
raspberry
that
snap
users
can
go
there
and
the
city
covered
up
to
ten
dollars
all
the
purchases
on
fred
and
fresh
fruit
and
vegetables,
so
that
we
are
giving
them
like
we
pay
for
half
of
your
of
your
vegetables,
so
you
have
the
opportunity
to
buy
eggs
or
buy
milk.
So
that's
one
way
that
we
are
doing
that.
Other
program
that
we
have
this
year
is
the
farmers
market
program.
Coupon
program
that
is
open
to
everyone
who
needed
units
like
the
double
up
program
is
just
for
the
snap
users.
B
The
farmer
market
coupon
program
is
for
everyone
in
the
city
of
boston
who
need
that
additional
dollars
to
extract
their
budget,
so
their
coupons
are
in
the
21
farming
market
in
the
city.
It's
a
first
come
first
serve,
people
can
go
there
and
go
to
the
manager
table
and
say:
can
I
have
coupon
and
they
will
have
ten
dollars
to
use
at
the
farmers
market.
B
So
those
are
the
ways
that
we
are
trying
to
maximize
their
their
budget.
Also,
we
are
trying
to
increase
visibility
and
access
to
a
safety
net
program.
So
a
snap
that
is
the
we
used
to
be
the
food
food
stamps
so
that
we
are
trying
to
connect
everyone
with
people
who
can
with
organization
who
can
help
to
do
applications,
because
this
is
the
moment
to
be
on
snap,
because
it's
a
tool
that
is
sustainable
that
adapt
to
your
different.
B
That
is
a
pandemic
ev
thing
that
works
like
a
snap,
but
it's
for
students,
pps,
character,
school
para
care
schools,
so
the
government
has
given
them
money
to
help
them
to
buy
food
and
they
can
be
used
at
coordinator
stores
and
supermarkets,
our
farmers
market.
So
we
are
connecting
families
with
that.
We
are
working
with
boston,
public
school.
Very
close
on
that
you
mentioned.
A
A
lot
of
different
things:
you
have
a
lot
of
different
initiatives
going
on
and
we're
absolutely
going
to
dig
into
them
individually,
so
that
people
are
aware
of
actually
what
specifically
they
are,
because
I
think
it's
very
important,
especially
during
this
time.
So
obviously
it's
been
a
very
challenging
year
due
to
covert
19..
B
So
I
can
say
that
partnership
has
been
the
main
key
for
on
our
response
on
the
city
response.
So
we
are
very
small
team
and
for
the
day,
one
when
mario
watch
it
close
the
city
or
through
the
schools
we
right
away,
connect
with
with
partners,
so
partners
work
together
with
people
who
are
doing
the
work
on
the
ground,
supporting
them.
That
they've
been
that
has
been
the
key
and
of
our
success.
Responding
to
to
the
emergency.
B
We
have
over
80
volunteers,
serial
boston
employees,
helping
us
to
respond
a
calls
because
we
are
getting
like
500
calls
every
day,
so,
city
of
boston
employees
just
step
up
and
help
us
er.
Other
departments
in
the
city
were
like
rejected,
really
direct
to
help
us
to
respond
to
that.
So
I
can
say
that
they
have
been
very
challenging
here,
but
everything
was
done
thanks
to
partnerships
and
support
by
city
of
boston,
employees
and
other
organizations
outside
of
the
boston.
B
So
all
those
calls
were
coming
and
we
were
putting
people
in
different
buckets
so
like
who
doesn't
have
food
right
now.
I
need
food
in
the
next
12
hours
who
needs
food
in
the
next
48
hours
who
needs
food.
They
can
wait
like
a
a
week.
So
we
we
have
all
those
categories
and
we
were
working
with
the
greater
boston
food
bank.
They
were
sending
us
like
tons
of
food
to
the
bps
kitchen,
so
we
were
volunteers.
We
were
packing
with
the
police
academy,
with
the
mbta.
We
were
like
distributing
that
food.
B
B
So
one
of
them
was
a
staff
capacity
and
was
like
that
was
addressed
with
all
the
support
of
the
city.
Other
one
is
coordination.
You
know
like
that.
We
were
doing
a
lot
of
emergency
response,
but
at
the
same
time
we
were
working
very
closely
with
the
boston
resiliency
fund.
They
were
giving
funds
to
the
community
community
organizations
to
help
us
to
close
the
those
gaps.
B
So
we
were
monitoring
who
were
where
our
resources
were
going
because
we
didn't
want
to
overlap
resources,
overlap
efforts,
so
it
was
just
like
keep
everyone
in
the
same
page,
it's
like
what
what
community
you
are
serving,
what
neighborhood
you
are
servicing.
This
is
the
gap
who
can
do
who
can
close
that
gap.
A
Yeah
communication
is
key,
but
also
are
the
programs
and
the
initiatives
that
your
department
has
and
we're
going
to
go
through
one
by
one,
because
there's
several
that
you
have
going
on
simultaneously.
So,
let's
start
with
the
boston
farmers
market,
which
you
already
mentioned,
tell
us
about
the
coupon
program.
B
So
we
have
a
very
vibrant,
a
farmer
market
in
the
city.
We
have
21
farmers
market
across
the
series,
so
there
is
no
neighborhood
that
doesn't
have
farmers
markets
except
waste
rosebury,
but-
and
we
we
want
to
solve
that.
So
everyone
is
seeing
this
and
want
to
open
up
farming
marketing
where
blueberry
just
please
call
us
but
apartment
market.
We.
B
What
we
did
this
year
is
first
increase
the
vendor
number
of
vendors
at
the
farmer's
market.
So
we
provide
mini
grants
to
vendors
that
we
say
like
you.
I
know
you
have
a
very
hard
time.
Last
year
you
need
some
like
city
money
to
start
over
just
contact
us
and
we
can
connect
you
with
a
farmer
market.
So
now
that
the
farmer
markets
are
there,
we
need
to
make
sure
that
those
vendors
have
the
customers
and
the
customers
that
we
want
are
those
individuals
that
need
the
help.
B
So
we
partner
with
over
40
organizations
they
already
have
been
working
with
community
members
who
know
that
their
needs
they
have
their
own
screening
system
to
say
this
family
need
that,
so
we
gave
them
coupons
on
a
booklet,
so
75
dollars
per
household
per
month
that
can
be
used
at
the
formal
market.
But
we
also
know
that
not
everyone
is
connected
with
this
organization,
so
we
provide
coupons
to
the
farm
and
market
managers.
B
So
all
the
former
american
managers
in
this
moment
have
coupons
so
coupons
can
be
used
to
buy
dairy
vegetables
meat,
honey
bread.
So
we
are
trying
to
give
like
the
freedom
that
we
all
want
to
have
when
we
choose
our
food.
So
there's
ten
dollars
that
you
can
use
at
the
farmers
market
for
whatever
you
need,
and
you
want.
A
Okay,
great
we're
going
to
have
all
that
information
at
the
end
as
well
to
make
sure
that
everybody
knows
where
to
go
so
there's
another
initiative
that
you
have.
It's
called
healthy
initiative
program,
also
known
as
hip,
and
that's
with
residents.
That's
for
residents
with
snap
benefits.
Correct!
Tell
us
about
that!.
B
So
the
health
incentive
program
is
a
program
that
is
managed
by
the
state
for
the
transitional
department
of
transitional
assistance.
What
we
are
doing
is
trying
to
connect
people
with
the
hip
and
how
they
work
is
depend
on
your
household
and
you
can
get
some
additional
or
you
can
earn
daughters
to
buy
fruit
and
vegetables.
So
if
you
are,
your
household
is
two
people.
You
will
have
forty
dollars
to
earn
at
the
farmer's
market
and
if
you
are
two
two
six,
you
have
forty
dollars
and
you
are
over
six
people
in
your
household.
B
You
have
eighty
dollars,
so
it's
not
recipients
can
go
to
any
of
our
farmers.
Market
go
to
buy
fruit
and
vegetables,
make
the
payment
and
the
money
that
you
got
and
you
pay
for
your
fruit
and
vegetables.
That
is
on
your
allowance.
You
will
back,
go
back
to
your
account
right
away,
so
they
will
give
you
a
receive
and
you
say
that
the
money
was
taken
off
and
the
money
was
pulling
back.
So
is
it
almost
like?
B
You
have
free
money
to
buy
fruit
and
vegetables,
so
all
these
lab
recipients
should
go
to
the
farmer's
market
and
use
their
heap,
and
there
is
every
month.
One
thing
that
I
want
people
to
be
clear
is
that
because
you
didn't
earn
your
hips
this
money
this
month
this
month
that
doesn't
go
over
the
next
month
every
month
you
have
forty
dollars,
you
use
it
or
not,
use
it
and
you
lose
it
so
next
month
you
have
other
forty
dollars,
it's
not
like
you're
putting
all
together
and
say.
A
B
So
pandemic
pvt
is
also
is
a
federal
program.
So
this
the
the
federal
government
had
provided
some
funding
to
the
cities
and
to
the
states
to
provide
this
a
support.
So
all
the
kids
that
are
in
public
schools
in
the
city
of
boston
and
charitable
schools
and
in
parochial
schools,
they
will
have
that
are
eligible
to
get
a
car
like
a
snap
car.
But
there's
like
a
credit
card
that
you
can
use
to
buy
fruit
and
vegetables,
so
they
they
should
have
received.
B
At
this
point,
the
card,
if
you
haven't
received
you,
should
call
us,
because
we
can
help
you
with
that
and
that
are
giving
its
own
allowance
to
monthly,
to
use
and
buying
fruit
and
vegetables
and
that
the
program
and
start
just
for
with
the
intention
to
help
families
to
feed
the
kids
at
home
when
we're
not
receiving
the
meals
at
school
and
that
went
through
april
to
the
end
of
this
year
school
year.
But
the
good
news
is
like
we.
B
B
So
dollar
food
box
is
a
pro
program
that
is,
for
the
smart
recipients
as
well
that
I,
as
I
say
that
support
I
help
with
the
purchases
and
we
have
12
locations.
They
are
located
in
east
boston
at
rosebury,
dorchester,
mariapan
and
jamaica
plain.
So
we
have
the
location
in
our
webpage
and
so
again
it's
a
way
that
we
can
help
you
to
stretch
and
maximize
your
snap
dollars.
A
B
So
we
have
the
summer
each
program
that
is,
for
a
kids,
18
and
younger.
So
we
have
over
100
locations
across
the
city
where
the
kids
or
the
parents
or
the
guardian
can
go
to
the
location
and
say
I
have
three
kids
at
home
and
they
will
receive
meals
at
lunches
and
breakfast
for
the
three
kids
and
it's
a
grab-and-go
model.
So
they
can
take
multiple
meals
for
the
week
because
they
don't
want
to
do
multiple
trips
to
the
side
or
they
can
go
every
day.
B
B
The
city
is
like
providing
a
lot
of
funding
to
start
new
community
gardens
that
is
considered
like
urban
farming,
too,
of
food
serving
tree
and
that
are
like
the
trustees
have
several
a
community
gardens
dude
that
we
wanna
try
to
support
more.
So
we
wanna
make
sure
that
everyone
who
wants
to
grow
their
own
food
they
want
to
connect
with
the
land
they
want
to
grow
the
food
that
is
cultural,
appropriate
for
them,
because
here
we
cannot
buy
kalalu.
So
let
me
right.
B
Yes,
through
the
or
the
major
food
access
agenda,
interviews
that
we
did,
people
really
want
to
grow
their
own
food
want
more
spaces
because
it's
not
just
grow
the
food.
It's
like
create
bonds
for
your
neighbor,
like
it's
a
space
where
people
can
interchange
cultural
background
experience
even
to
teach
to
cook.
So
it's
a
it's
more
than
food.
It's
something
like
build
community
and
create
a
space
also
for
like
meditation
for
relaxation
like
to
like
live
all
the
stress
out.
So
yes,
we
have
a
lot
of
demand
on
community
meetings,
a
community
gardeners
all
farms.
B
Yes,
so
we
have
two
farmers
in
dorchester
we
have
farmers
in
east
boston,
we
have
a
farm
in
fenway
in
the
harbour
island
and
we
have
in
high
park
maripoint
rosebury
south
bank,
so
we
there
is
an
extent
number
of
them,
so
we
can
provide
you
like.
If
you
go
to
our
webpage,
you
will
see
the
addresses
and
the
contact
information.
If
you
want
to
go
to
the
farms
buy
food
from
them
or
even
volunteers,
they
always
need
like
additional
hands
to
help
them
to
to
eating.
Lately.
We
have
so
much
rain.