DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County officials said they are introducing “Mobile Market Mondays,” a new initiative to provide fresh produce across the county.
Commissioners Ted Terry and LaDena Bolton said this project, in partnership with “Retaaza,” will feature a mobile farmer’s market visiting sites in South DeKalb identified as food deserts, offering affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.
The initiative by DeKalb County Commissioners starts Nov. 3.
It highlights the urgent need for state-level solutions to food insecurity amid federal funding uncertainties, according to the officials.
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At a news conference at 4 p.m., the commissioners said they will be joined by DeKalb residents who receive SNAP benefits and laid-off federal workers.
These individuals will share their experiences of struggling with high food prices, layoffs, furloughs and the end of SNAP benefits.
Commissioners said the launch of Mobile Market Mondays aims to address immediate needs while advocating for broader state intervention.
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The commissioners are also urging Georgia state leaders to use the state’s $14.9 billion budget surplus to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing federal shutdown.
Around 1.4 million Georgians rely on SNAP benefits face a loss of funding in just two days.
The county commissioners said 14% of DeKalb County residents, or over 100,000 people, depend on these benefits to afford their groceries.
Terry said it was important for Georgia state officials to intervene, noting that other states like Virginia and Louisiana have already committed to using state funds to support SNAP recipients.
“Food insecurity is a public health crisis, and we cannot wait for federal solutions when our neighbors are going hungry. Georgia has the resources—and the moral obligation—to step in and protect our most vulnerable residents,” said Super District 7 Commissioner Dr. LaDena Bolton.
Gov. Brian Kemp said during an international conference in Japan that if the state funds the program in the interim, it could set up a slippery slope for doing the same to other programs, with no end in sight.
“They’re talking to the wrong person,” the governor said in a statement shared with WSB Radio. “You don’t know that you’ll even get reimbursed for that money. You don’t know if it’s going to be for one month or if you’ll have to do it for one year. This is not a situation for the states to be able to bail the federal government out on, and I’m just not going there.”
“The states cannot be the solution to this, it would just never end,” he added.
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