Wicked Local
Last year, when the former president of Trader Joe's paid Cambridge a visit as a potential site for the next location of his small affordable grocery chain Daily Table, he had one question: But is there a need?
The resounding answer was yes.
"I said, 'Cambridge? Really?' We had been looking at Mattapan, Salem, Lynn, Revere, and no one would question why Lawrence," said founder and Newton resident Doug Rauch. "So, when we struck out for Cambridge, the first reaction was, 'Oh, so you're changing your model.' No, there are people here in need."
An estimated 13% of Cambridge residents don't know where their next meal is coming from, according to Feeding America. There was a problem before, but COVID-19 has only exacerbated that need across the state. One in six Massachusetts residents is food insecure, and, between 2018 and October 2020, Massachusetts saw a 59% increase in its food insecurity rate (102% for children), the largest increase in the country.