Connections Between Race, Poverty, & Health
The mission and programs of Women’s Lunch Place have expanded greatly since our beginning in 1982 and reflects a long tradition of service to Boston’s most disadvantaged population of women living in homelessness and poverty. WLP continues to be keenly focused on the racial disparities that have existed historically for minority communities with limited resources, further exacerbated by the extremely high cost of living in Boston and now intensified by COVID-19. New research, documented in the New York Times in May 2020, shows a rise in food insecurity without modern precedent.
We know that racial minorities have been disproportionately affected by lack of access to:
Affordable housing
Quality healthcare
Healthy nutrition
Quality education
Living wage jobs
WLP is deeply concerned about the inequalities suffered by our guests. According to the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2019, underrepresented communities are suffering severe consequences due to the segregation of people living in poverty. This segregation has already resulted in lack of access to healthy food, affordable housing, living-wage jobs, and quality education. Many of our guests have come from intergenerational poverty and, in addition to their continued struggle to access basic human needs, have been grappling with these conditions since childhood. This reality is underscored by the extensive research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others regarding the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), which concludes that “poverty limits access to healthy foods and safe neighborhoods”.
We also know that differences in health are striking in communities with poor SDOH, such as unstable housing, low income, unsafe neighborhoods, lack of access to healthy food, or substandard access to quality education. WLP seizes every opportunity to improve individual guests’ health and health equity for the entire WLP community. We recognize the importance of correcting these inequalities and will continue to advocate for the health and safety of our community.
To discuss our role in solving this public health crisis, we have begun planning a roundtable discussion with representatives from Boston Public Health Commission and other community leaders.
Our team sees first-hand the devastating effects of racial inequality, policy brutality, and racism. Not only do our staff members experience the effects of these issues themselves, but they also care for many guests who experience discrimination each and every day. To grow stronger as a team and better serve our community, WLP leadership facilitated a staff conversation to address these issues. In a moment in time like this, it is clear that these inequalities and injustices are inextricably linked to the health and wellbeing of our community.
