July 31, 2009 - INDIANAPOLIS – In the past five years, two major grocery chains moved out of Indianapolis’ near eastside, and the 40,000 residents of the community fell prey to the high cost and low nutritional value of the dozen convenience stores that emerged since.
With a goal of providing affordable, healthy food options to the community, Indy Food Cooperative, Inc. announces its first non-profit, community-owned grocery store will open at 2828 East 10th Street in October 2009 as Pogue’s Run Grocer.
“Pogue’s Run Grocer seeks to improve the quality of life in Indianapolis by providing the community with access to good food, while supporting the local economy instead of national grocery chains,” said Kyle Hendrix, president of Indy Food Cooperative.
“Nearly 200 households representing residents all across Indianapolis have joined as members of the cooperative, but putting Indy’s only non-profit, storefront grocery store in an underserved area of the city meets an important mission of our group,” continued Hendrix,
This week, Indy Food Cooperative announces the signing of a lease for a building that has sat empty along a blighted section of East 10th Street for five years, the former Lane TV building. Volunteers of the cooperative will begin demolishing the interior walls on August 8 in preparation for the transformation of the space into a grocery store.
“Finding an adaptive reuse for this property will preserve and improve another building as well as provide jobs and a living wage -- a touchdown for the community and a great start to the 2012 Super Bowl Legacy project goal to revitalize the 10th Street Corridor during the next three years,” said Patrick Dooley, co-chair of the 2012 Super Bowl Legacy’s committee for economic development along the corridor.
Over the next three months, the 70 year old building near the intersection of 10th and Rural Streets will be renovated into a 3,000 square foot full-line grocery store. Shelves will be lined with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, poultry, personal care items and more. Members receive discounts on their purchases and other benefits, but the store will be open to the general public.
"Building a strong neighborhood relies upon people working together and the Indy Food Co-op's investment in this community demonstrates the positive impact neighbors can make. The Food Co-op will bring fresh food back into our neighborhood -- making it available to residents that do not have access to a grocery store," continued Dooley.
“The location offers a central location and is conveniently accessible by car, bike, bus or foot,” added Hendrix. “Pogue’s Run Grocer will be a true community marketplace to benefit those who care about health, and who believe that good food should be affordable and accessible to all.”
For more information about the event or the Indy Food Coop, visit www.indyfoodcoop.org , e.mail indyfoodcoop@yahoo.com, or call 317.631.2220.
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About Indy Food Cooperative, Inc.In the summer of 2007, a group of individuals met for the first time to begin discussing how to bring the city’s first non-profit, community-owned storefront grocery cooperative to Indianapolis. Since that time, a group of dedicated volunteers have been working hard to secure a location, raise funds and build membership for a grocery cooperative near downtown. The goal of the store is to support the local economy, while making local, fresh, organic and affordable food and products available to urban neighborhoods that currently are not served by healthy grocery options. In addition to operating a store, Indy Food Co-op is dedicated to educating the community on healthier eating through outreach programs, cooking classes and more. The organization kicked off its Founding 150 membership drive in November 2008 and reached the 150 member household milestone in early February 2009. Today, nearly 200 households have join the co-op, and the store is expected to open its doors in late October 2009. In the meantime, the Indy Food Co-op board of directors organizes gatherings and events that are forming a community of lifetime food cooperative supporters and customers. www.IndyFoodCoop.org , www.IndyFoodCoop.blogspot.com
Did you see the cover story in this months URBAN TIMES? Pick one up and check out the Indy Food Co-op cover story.
After several weeks of delays, the management at Keystone Arts Cinema assures me that THIS Friday, July 31, FOOD, INC will open for one week.
About the film: HEART & SOIL, a 45 minute family documentary, offers hope for our planet. This uplifting movie clips along with the pace of barefoot children and frolicking livestock,taking us on a journey into the rich landscape and lives of small scale farming, the bustling energy of farmers’ markets and farm to school programs. HEART & SOIL has been called “a love song for farmers,” those stalwart keepers of the earth who speak with passion on diverse topics including animal husbandry, soil science and climate change. HEART & SOIL also touches on the darker side of agriculture: the corporate extractive system that produces—not only most of the food we eat—but global warming. For more information, visit: www.HeartAndSoilFilm.com
