More than 640,000 people in Louisiana are living with food insecurity, according to Feeding Louisiana, a food bank that aims to fight hunger.
The United Way of Acadiana is partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to help decrease the number of food deserts in Lafayette and make healthy foods more accessible to the community.
The new project is called The Northside Food Insecurity Initiative and is expected to be in effect over the next three years.
Dwayne Landry said he has been a homeowner on the Northside for roughly 25 years. He said there aren't many options for residents in his neighborhood to access fresh produce.
"The Dollar Store and Family Dollar are the two, closest stores to me," Landry said.
Heather Blanchard, President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana said there's a one-million-dollar grant she and her colleagues will be using to help put nutritious foods on the shelves in convenience stores and small businesses.
"We have about a million and a half dollars to spend on the food desert work," Blanchard said. "Our goal is to address how can we build capital in the food desert area so that the programs that we help establish are there beyond us."
Anyone interested in expanding their business or volunteering, is encouraged to contact United Way of Acadiana.
