In 2015, a friend invited WTF!? to a monthly meetup called Food Desert Solutions. At this meeting were people from different backgrounds, organizations, and walks of life coming together to discuss solutions to food insecurity in Dallas. They didn’t realize how dire the situation was only a few miles from where we live and work. Learning about the issue literally had us asking ourselves…WTF?! That’s when they decided to tell the story and start making a film. They couldn’t believe they didn’t know about this before and couldn’t allow others in our community to remain ignorant to this solvable issue. WTF!? started researching, meeting more people, and shooting the stories.
They are telling this story not only to raise awareness, but to also create action. The goal is to work with leaders in food desert communities to tell the story authentically and make the biggest impact possible.
“There are 477,000 People in Dallas who do not know where their next meal is coming from, and they spend a lot of their scant resources getting to a grocery store taking sometimes 2 or 3 buses… and that’s just making the assumption that somebody has the money to even go that route” -Jackie Anderson, Food Recovery Specialist at Equal Heart
This project doesn’t just focus on the problem. It’s a raw look at many solutions from many organizations and people. They hope it motivates and connects people to action and serves as a blueprint to other food deserts in the US and beyond.
WTF?! does not only focus on the studies, statistics, and the problem. It is a raw look at the many solutions manifesting by organizations and individuals in the community and serves a solutions blueprint to other food deserts.
WTF?! humanizes all of the issues that cause and affect food deserts through the stories of an array of archetypes from the hungry child in need to the wealthy philantrhropsist. Through their actions and interactions they see the realty unfold.
-Lack of accessible food
-Lack of education, security, resources
-School to prison pipeline
-Sustainability/unsustainability of causes and non-profits
-Solutions at work
“The Income gap, the resource gap, the opportunity gap is a tremendous in Dallas. You have 18 billionaires but on the other hand south downtown Dallas, 85% of the people… live in extreme poverty” -Chad Houser, Chef, Founder of Cafe Momentum
