More than $1 million in funds from San Francisco’s soda tax,
approved by voters in 2016, will be put toward providing meals for people affected
by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Mayor London Breed said Friday.
The Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax, which assesses
distributors of sodas and other sweet beverages 1 center per ounce, are
invested in variety of health programs citywide.
As the pandemic continues, $1.65 million of the funds are currently
being used to help the city’s neediest residents such as undocumented
immigrants, low-income people, seniors, and pregnant and breastfeeding women,
according to Breed’s office.
Funding from the tax for people most hard hit by COVID-19
began last month and will be used by the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market
to buy meals for community groups that provide food to residents, including the
San Francisco African American Faith Based Coalition and the Bayview Senior Center.
In addition, the funds will support San Francisco Unified
School District’s efforts to feed families, the mayor’s office said.
Other recipients include the San Francisco Housing Authority
and Mission Language and Vocational School.
“COVID-19 has made it really challenging for some of
our most vulnerable communities to access food, whether due to loss of income,
longer lines at the stores, closing of dining rooms, or other disruptions to
normal routine,” Breed said in a statement. “As we respond to the
health challenges of COVID-19, it’s important that we keep working together to
make sure people have enough to eat and don’t have to worry about where their
next meal will come from.”
The chairwoman of the California State Board of Equalization
Malia Cohen, who initially authored the legislation during her time as
supervisor, applauded the city’s use of the funds.
“We took on Big Soda to materially reduce health
disparities for communities of color,” she said. “For decades,
targeted advertising in communities like the Bayview and Mission has led to
higher rates of diabetes and heart disease. Now, our community is among the
hardest hit by COVID-19 and its economic impacts. Using these Soda Tax dollars
to ensure access to fresh, healthy food is exactly the kind of direct
investment that we need.”
More information about the tax can be found at www.sodatax-sf.org.
Source: NBC Bay Area