HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Welcome to The Community Grocer’s inaugural weekly blog post! This is the first of many pieces where we will dive into our organization, the work we do, the issues we are facing, and the people making it happen. 

Our story begins in the shadow of the world’s oldest crude oil refinery and one of Philadelphia's largest housing projects: Grays Ferry. Here, TCG Cofounders Eli Moraru and Alexandre Imbot joined lifelong residents Charles and Tammy Reeves, who through their organization Resident Action Committee II, work tirelessly to serve and rebuild the Grays Ferry community.

Fast forward to January 2021. Eli Moraru, Alexandre Imbot, and the RAC2 distributed thousands of free USDA-provided food boxes for struggling neighbors as part of their work during the height of the pandemic. Each week, the federal government dropped off a variety of onions, apples, milk, cheese, raw chicken, and yogurt. Yet, for a variety of reasons, these contents were not of great interest to the community. We saw a lot of people, many with fully loaded EBT Food Stamp Cards, turn down boxes and instead ask where they could access a hot meal. Simply put, fresh, raw ingredients weren’t of use to many members, especially for those confined by the limitations of their food stamps.

Carrying the voices of our neighbors, our Cofounders went to the Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic to verify a potential new business model designed to help people spend their food stamps and actually achieve nutritional assistance. Born then and there was “The Community Grocer.”

Utilizing partnerships with local nonprofits, TCG is reinventing the corner store, and bringing real food within walking distance. What was once impossible - buying a meal with food stamps - is now a reality at TCG. We are creating the platform and physical space for communities to leverage their food stamps and purchasing power to access the forms of nutritional assistance they are asking for. Beyond a marketplace, TCG will serve as a resource center with space for community programming and support.

We are excited to welcome you on our journey to create a reality where access to food and resources to live a better, healthier life is available to all, regardless of where you live. Thank you for joining us, and we are thrilled to have you along for the journey. 

Learn more about us here www.thecommunitygrocer.org/about and follow us on social media (links below).

Questions? Contact us at TheCommunityGrocerFamily@gmail.com