Understanding Food Deserts
At Juice for Justice, education has always been at the root of our mission. Before we can close the gap in food access, we have to understand why it exists. This page is where we start: with the facts, the realities, and the everyday choices shaped by geography, income, and history.
What Counts as a Food Desert
The USDA defines food deserts as low-income areas at least 1 mile from a grocery store in cities and 10+ miles in rural areas.
(USDA Economic Research Service)
The Health Toll Is Well-Documented
Living in a food desert is linked to higher rates of malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
(USDA/CDC research)
Nearly 19 Million Americans Are Affected
~39 million people (13%) live with limited food access; ~19 million (6%) have especially limited access to a supermarket.
(USDA Food Access Research Atlas, 2022 data)
Food Costs More Where Access Is Lowest
In food deserts, milk runs about 5% higher and cereal about 25% higher than in areas with full grocery access.
(American Inequality, citing USDA data)
A History, Not Just a Location
1930s redlining policy set off decades of disinvestment in inner cities, shaping where supermarkets were–and weren't–built.
(Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, Springer Nature, 2023)
The Impact Isn't Evenly Distributed
Neighborhoods with a higher share of Black residents consistently have fewer supermarkets and more fast food – even accounting for income.
(National Institutes of Health / PubMed Central)
𖡡 Right here in Dallas, TX
More than a third of Dallas residents live in a food desert, concentrated in South, West, and East Dallas — a reality we see and work to mitigate every day.
Juice for Justice exists to close the gap— not with charity alone, but with systems that last. Through our juicing program, food security partnerships, and community empowerment initiatives, we work alongside Dallas-based organizations to get fresh, nutrient-dense produce into the hands of families who need it, building a circular model of food access rooted in sustainability and justice.
Marge Publishing Co. is founded in loving memory of Lindsey Carr— a tribute to her spirit, and to every story still waiting to be told.
Introducing Marge Publishing Co.
Marge Publishing Co. is a new publishing venture from Juice for Justice founder Dr. Magdeline Pike, built to center the voices of those historically and systemically suppressed — their stories, their perspectives, and the truths they carry. Where Juice for Justice nourishes bodies, Marge Publishing nourishes minds, providing a sanctuary for the stories that deserve to be told.
In Loving Memory of Lindsey Carr
A Note from the Founder:
It is with humility and gratitude that I announce Marge Publishing Company LLC
This endeavor is not only a tribute to my best friend, Lindsey, who left this earth on 3/6/2026, but in many ways, this company is Lindsey. Marge is the name Linds used to call me. I still hear the name in her voice every time I see it, a little bit of Cleveland twang that could almost pass for a Boston accent if you didn’t know. Lindsey was a writer, an incredible one. We went to college together, where she studied journalism and often served as my editor throughout my higher education journey. She worked for magazines, journals, and more as an editor and publisher. I started the company in January 2026, right after Lindsey went on life support. During my first visit, I read to her - The Sun and Her Flowers, Big Friendship, and other books she’d sent me over the years. Quickly, through words not hers, it felt as if she’d foreshadowed the pain experienced from her suffering.
During my second visit in February, Linds was awake. She told me she heard everything from her comatose state. And for a short while, I got the most special opportunity to be with my friend again. To talk about life, death, fear, and more. To watch her sleep, to laugh about all of the dumb stuff we did, to apologize for the shortcomings, and to try to find peace amidst an inevitable tragedy. Lindsey was able to approve the name of the company as well as the logo, which I drew at her bedside. And while this year has been consumed by so much pain, confusion, and anger towards the way Lindsey was taken, I have always known that there had to be a reason for it, just as I have always known that there was something better on the other side for her. Marge Publishing Company will write her story, our story, and the experiences from the in-between. It will highlight her writing and shed light on the disease that took her. Moreso, it will be a safe place for writers to share their art, something Lindsey would have been proud of.
‘Marge’ carries a double meaning. My dissertation, which I spent a lot of time putting the finishing touches on at Lindsey’s bedside, is titled ‘Between the Margins,’ and with this company, I want to shed light on and share stories from those who have historically and systemically been suppressed.
I am excited to see the beauty that will stem from this space. The logo is the symbol of the sun and her flowers in an encapsulated time shell. the flowers (beauty), the sun (life and death, beginnings and ends), and time (the only thing we have).
I love you so much, Linds.
– "Marge"
Dr. Magdeline Pike
Founder & President, Juice for Justice
CEO, Marge Publishing Co. LLC
Lindsey's Publications
A running collection of Lindsey Carr's writing for Cleveland Magazine.