Meet Jason Lamberti. Jason and his family are recovering from COVID-19. At 16 years old, Jason recognizes the connection between the COVID-19 pandemic and the issue of food justice in Camden.

Many families in Camden struggled with access to fresh food and groceries before the pandemic. With the onset of COVID-19, access to fresh healthy food has hit a crisis point, and as Jason highlights, food banks and pantries are a fact of life in Camden.

“A lot of people are struggling to find meals…people were struggling to find meals before.”

https://www.facebook.com/NjCommunitiesUnited/videos/578241633098507/ 

Marginalized communities struggle during normal times, and crises like the COVID-19 pandemic push every family to the limits. #OurCommunities need sustainable affordable access to fresh food and groceries all year – not just during the pandemic. The connection between fresh food and health is one of the reasons COVID-19 has impacted Black and Latino working-class communities so hard. Relying on social services and charity is not a permanent solution. #OurCommunities want to be decision makers in land use, planning, and zoning to make sure that food justice is a guiding principle as we rebuild and re-open our cities.

What’s happening in your community? Add your voice to the NJCU Voices of #OurCommunities blog by telling your story at www.UnitedNJ.org/TellYourStory.