Join the many community partners that have been working on the Healthy Corner Store Initiative over the past year for a grand opening on Friday, January 29th from 3:00PM to 5:30PM. The grand opening will take place at the first two corner stores participating in the initiative – Food Plus Market located at 414 E. Amherst Street and Buff City Exclusive Market located at 90 Lisbon Avenue.
The Healthy Corner Store Initiative, started as part of the Oishei Foundation’s Mobile Safety Net, is a new approach to improving residents’ access to fresh and affordable produce by bringing local fruits and vegetables into neighborhood corner stores.
According to several studies, including one conducted in 2014 by the Mobile Safety-Net Team, in conjunction with the University at Buffalo Regional Institute, cite many parts of the East Side of Buffalo as food deserts. The USDA defines food deserts as census tracts where “at least 33 percent of the census tract’s population must reside more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store”.
The Healthy Corner Store Initiative, which will incentivize store owners to offer fresh fruits and vegetables, support local food providers, and educate residents about healthy eating habits, has been a collective effort of many community partners including:
- Bailey Avenue Business Association
- Buffalo Promise Neighborhood
- University District Councilmember Rasheed N.C. Wyatt
- Community Action Organization of Erie County
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County – Eat Smart New York
- Erie County Department of Health
- Erie County Department of Social Services
- Food Bank of WNY
- Friends of the Night People
- Gerard Place
- Harmac Medical Products
- Millennium Collaborative Care
- Mobile Safety-Net Team
- P2 Collaborative of WNY
- The John R. Oishei Foundation
- University at Buffalo School of Public Health
- University District Community Development Association
- Urban Fruits & Veggies, LLC
Learn more about the Healthy Corner Store Initiative and the partners working together to bring more fresh and affordable produce to Buffalo. Cornell Cooperative Extension Eat Smart New York will be on site with taste tests and healthy tips showing that nutritious can be delicious! You can also get a jump start on eating healthier with a chance to win a magic bullet personal blender/ food processor!