Seattle Press on Line - Local Somali Grocers Win Reversal of USDA Action

Local Somali Grocers Win Reversal of USDA Action

By Sara Longley

Aug 01, 2002 -- Two Somali-owned grocery stores are again able to accept food stamps, thanks to a reversal of a March U. S. Department of Agriculture decision to disqualify them from doing so.

The Maka Mini-Market and the Madina Mini-Market are two of three small grocery stores that were barred from accepting food stamps because of suspicion of illegal food stamp trafficking. The third, Towfiq Supermarket, is still in the process of assembling the necessary financial records to file an appeal. The East African community, which depends on the grocers for Halal meats prepared in accordance with the Koran, includes many food stamp clients who were denied traditional dietary staples by the USDA decision. In turn, the markets themselves were crippled by the loss of business, as 80 percent of their customers were unable to shop there.

Hate Free Zone, a non-profit group formed to aid local communities harmed by the backlash of September 11, organized community support for the grocers and their food stamp client customers. A fundraiser sponsored by the group raised $8,500 to help the struggling markets by purchasing traditional foods for the food stamp client families. Hate Free Zone also coordinated a letter-writing campaign on the markets' behalf, which included letters from Washington State's congressional delegation. Perkins Coie represented the grocers pro bono in their appeal of the ruling.

The future is still uncertain for the market owners, according to Pramila Jayapal of Hate Free Zone. "They may not be able to collect damages," she said. "The stores had very little business without their food stamp customers." She noted that businesses endured nearly six months of hardship due to the USDA action.

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