FOOD DESERTS ARE THOSE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE OR NO ACCESS TO FRESH AND
HEALTHY FOOD. THERE ISN’T MUCH ACCESS TO ANYTHING FRESH, ANY GROCERY STORES.
WITHIN A METROPOLITAN OR URBAN AREA, IT’S TYPICALLY THE PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION THAT
LIVE GREATER THAN ONE MILE FROM A GROCERY STORE. WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IS A HALO IS CREATED,
SO IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL AREAS OF TOWN WHERE YOU HAVE VERY LOW INCOME, IT TENDS TO DISCOURAGE,
YOU KNOW, MAJOR GROCERY STORE CHAINS FROM COMING IN. YEAH, MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT ARE WEST OF MISSIONARY RIDGE, TO THE RIVER, AND THEN TO THE STATE LINE, WOULD QUALIFY,
THERE’S A FEW THAT DON’T.
YOU HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO LIVE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM A GROCERY
STORE THAT IT TRULY AFFECTS WHAT OPTIONS THEY HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.
THAT SOUNDS REALLY SIMPLE, BUT IT’S ONE OF THE MOST BASIC THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED.
I MEAN, I THINK PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM MORE EASILY. THEY’RE SEEING
STORES LEAVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. ADDRESSING THAT PROBLEM IS MORE EASY ONCE YOU IDENTIFY
IT.
FOR YEARS WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON WAYS TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE FOOD DESERT ISSUE. THE
MOBILE MARKET WAS THE TYPE OF THING THAT FIT.
WELL, NUMBER ONE WOULD BE HEALTH OPTIONS, THE HEALTHY OPTIONS THAT ARE IN THE STORE
ITSELF. BUT ALSO CONVENIENCE, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. EVEN
A CORNER MARKET THAT MIGHT JUST BE A HALF MILE AWAY. THAT’S STILL A LONG WAY FOR THEM
TO HAVE TO CARRY SOME GROCERIES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, YOU KNOW, DEPEND ON THE MOBILE MARKET. BECAUSE, IT’S JUST LIKE,
A BUNCH OF THEM ARE DISABLED, AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO GO SHOP FOR THEM, YOU KNOW.
AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE UP HERE ARE IN WHEEL CHAIRS, AND LOCKED IN. AND ITS, FOR DAILY
SUPPLIES, IT’S JUST EASIER.
YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR SELF-WORTH, TO BE ABLE TO GET YOUR OWN GROCERIES, THAT MAKES PEOPLE
FEEL GOOD, IT EMPOWERS THEM.
I WOULD EITHER HAVE TO GET ON THE BUS, TRY TO GET ON THE BUS, A LOT OF TIMES I COULDN’T
GET ON THERE AND I’D HAVE TO GO, EVEN IN THE RAIN I’D HAVE TO GO IN THIS CHAIR, WHICH
IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. TO ME, THIS IS A LIFE SAVER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES DON’T NECESSARILY TRUST NEW PEOPLE WHO COME IN.
FOR US IT’S EVERY SINGLE WEEK, YOU SEE THE SAME PEOPLE. SO YOU’RE BUILDING TRUST, PROVIDING
THEM GOOD GROCERIES FOR THEIR HOME. AND JUST TALKING TO THEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW,
I GET TO KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THIS THING IS SUPER COOL. YOU KNOW, IT’S AWESOME, I LOVE IT. I’M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT
IT, IT’S GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE UTILIZE IT, IT’S NICE TO SEE REGULARS.
IT’S SOMETHING EASY TO WALK TO SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO BEG SOMEONE AND YOU DON’T GOTTA
PAY EVERYBODY TO GET FOR THEM. BUT, THIS WAY, YOU CAN GET WHAT YOU NEED OUT THIS AND THIS
IS A GREAT THING TO HAVE.
THAT’S WHAT IT PROVIDES, FRESH HEALTHY FOOD RIGHT HERE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE TRY TO KEEP IT AS LOW AS WE CAN, AND SOURCE IT LOCALLY. WE HAVE QUITE A VARIETY IN THERE.
WE HAVE FUJI APPLES, LOCAL AND ORGANIC. WE’VE ALSO GOT LOCAL SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI, OUR GREEN
TOMATOES, CABBAGE.
THIS IS SOMETHING I FEEL GOOD ABOUT, EVERY DAY. AND I LIKE THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING IT
SUCCESSFUL.
IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY GOOD TO BE RELIED ON BY SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, TO HELP THEM OUT.
YOU KNOW, COMING THROUGH AND ACTUALLY SHOPPING IN A MOBILE MARKET, IT’S REALLY ASTONISHING,
IT WAS A SOLUTION, SHORT-TERM, THAT CAN NOW EVOLVE INTO SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT FIXTURES
IN SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. ONE OF THOSE IDEAS THAT WE REALLY KIND OF HASHED AROUND
A LOT AT THE TABLE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WITH FUNDERS WAS THE HEALTHY CORNER STORE
INITIATIVE. WE’RE LOOKING AT STORES THAT ARE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WANT
TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE CORNER MARKET IDEA, MAKES PERFECT SENSE, RIGHT? SO WE’RE THERE MUCH LONGER, THE ACCESS
IS FULLTIME, COMPARED TO THE MOBILE MARKET WE’RE THERE ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO HOURS. IT’S
VERY IMPORTANT WE HAVE THE FIRST ONE IN BECAUSE WE CAN SHOW PEOPLE THAT IT CAN BE PROFITABLE
FOR THEIR STORE.
IN THE FIRST MONTH, IT TURNED A PROFIT FOR THE STORE OWNER. SO A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN
ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT’S THE BUSINESS MODEL STRUCTURE THAT WORKS FOR A CORNER STORE? IDENTIFYING
THE RIGHT CORNER STORE OWNERS THAT REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
ANY TIME YOU DEALING WITH A HEALTHY WAY OF EATING, YOU KNOW FOR CHILDREN AND WHOMEVER
IT MAY BE, THEN, YOU KNOW, I’M REALLY ALL FOR THAT.
AND SO THAT’S WHERE IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT WITH THE CORNER MARKET MODEL IS TO SHOW THIS
WILL ACTUALLY MAKE YOU MONEY, AND YOU’RE SELLING SOMETHING THAT’S HEALTHY FOR YOUR
CUSTOMERS.
WELL, I THINK THE PEOPLE APPRECIATE, THAT THEY SEE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE THEM. ONE THAT
STAYS IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MOBILE MARKET HAD TO BUILD A
CUSTOMER BASE. A LOT OF THESE CORNER STORES ALREADY HAVE ONE. AND IT REALLY PROVIDES A
LONGER-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. WHEN BUSINESSES STEP UP AND SAY “I WANT TO BE
A PART OF THE SOLUTION,” I THINK THAT’S FANTASTIC. AND WE WOULD ALWAYS SUPPORT IT.
WE NEED MORE GROCERY STORES THAT SELL FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, PARTICULARLY IN THE
BLACK COMMUNITY. THAT’S WHY WE’RE SO PLAGUED WITH DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, THINGS
AT ONE TIME, WE DID NOT HAVE. PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES SEE THE VALUE
OF LOCALLY-GROWN FOOD, OF ORGANIC FOOD. AND THEY WANT TO PURCHASE THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A CULTURE OF HEALTH, AND SO WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING
CULTURAL CHANGE, THAT TAKES DECADES FOR THE MOST PART. WE’RE STARTING TO SEE PEOPLE
COME BACK TO SOME OF THE OLD WAYS OF DOING THINGS. AND THAT’S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD
THING. I THINK EDUCATION IS GONNA HAVE TO BE A COMPONENT.
IT’S NOT JUST BRINGING THE FOOD TO THE PEOPLE, IT’S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
WE AT THE POINT NOW THAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT. WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT. AND WE CAN’T
DEPEND ON ANYBODY TO DO THAT. ALONG WITH EATING GOOD AND EATING RIGHT. IT’S ALL IN THE WHOLE
CIRCUMFERENCE. ALL OF THAT, WE HAVE TO DO IT.
CHILDREN WHO GO THROUGH THE MOBILE MARKET ARE PICKING UP FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. SO WHEN
WE SAY A GENERATIONAL, CULTURAL SHIFT, THAT’S WHAT IT REALLY TAKES. IT TAKES NEIGHBORHOODS,
BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTS, ANYBODY IN A POSITION TO WANT TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN, LET’S MAKE
HEALTHY OPTIONS THE EASY CHOICE, AND THEN
SUPPORT THOSE.