HOW IT ALL BEGAN

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 to 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 that did not add up to a recipe. Yet, for a variety of reasons, these contents were not of great interest to our neighbors. 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 restricted 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 empowerment.