What’s for dinner?

In the summer of 1981, I was on the other side of the world and seriously contemplating where my next meal would come from.

I had walked into a rather large grocery store, anticipating that I would spend the next 30 minutes or so, buying some eggs, bacon, milk, bread, butter, and jelly to put in the fridge of my bungalow. For snacks, I had in mind a few bags of chips, and a bottle of soda.

After having endured a long transatlantic flight, I was also hungry for a hot dinner. Deep in my belly, that sensation increased the more I thought about food. I had plenty of cash and some credit cards, and even found myself imagining the aroma of a delicious steak.

However, when I visited the aisles, I saw little on the shelves; most were empty. I was baffled. I soon learned that the city of Accra, Ghana in West Africa, where my plane had landed a few hours earlier, and indeed most of the Eastern Region of that country, had become a “food desert.” Distribution channels were restricted and the nation itself was literally on the brink of a coup d’état.

I had arrived there with a small mission team to spread the gospel of Christ, but in the coming weeks, I also embraced essential lessons on how to eat less and pray more and how to grow in faith while tightening my belt. At each meal, and with an attitude of gratitude for the wonderful Ghanaians who so lovingly hosted us, I finished every morsel on my plate—no leftovers.

Today, Ghana’s GDP is growing, as it develops a dynamic and diversified economy. However, in the United States, a different kind of food desert occurs where there are tracts of at least 100 households located more than one–half mile from the nearest supermarket and have no vehicle access to it.* In those neighborhoods, only drive–thru restaurants and convenience stores exist where it is easy for children and adults to develop malnutrition and obesity at the same time.

In this issue of SACONNECTS, our writers have prepared stories that reveal how The Salvation Army is responding to food insecurity in such communities. Read on to also discover how you can eat wholesome foods, exercise regularly, and stay well.

*United States Department of Agriculture

by WARREN L. MAYE, Editor in Chief