By Shawn Nowlin
One’s zip code should not be determinative of whether affordable, fresh food is within walking distance of their home or not. Unfortunately, too often that is the case.
A food desert, defined as “an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food,” is what Northwest Roanoke experienced for decades. Until last week, the last time the area had a full-service grocery store was in the 1980s.
Instrumental in bringing the grocery store to the community was the Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. Present for the Nov. 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony were CEO Richmond Vincent, Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. and Elizabeth Ackley, Ph.D., a Roanoke College Professor who was on the front lines of the Northwest Roanoke Food Access Initiative.
“Today marks a significant milestone for our community. A vision has been brought to life that will truly uplift Northwest Roanoke. We are now able to provide our residents with essential resources right here in their own neighborhood,” Lea said.
He added, “In my 20 years on city council, one of the questions I got the most was, ‘What are we doing about the Northwest community?’ Well, where we are today speaks for itself.”
At nearly 15,000 square-feet, the store is stocked with affordable meats, produce, pantry staples and dairy products. Nearly half of the 40-member staff, most notably Customer Service Manager LaCresha Brown, resides in Northwest Roanoke.
Dozens of parents brought their children to the Market on Melrose on Nov. 16 for its Family Fun Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., kids got their faces painted, played with balloons and participated in scavenger hunts. Adults took full advantage of the free food samples and coupons.
If smiles are an indication that people are enjoying themselves then last Saturday felt like a Disney movie for everyone involved. “This grocery store is everything that I hoped it would be. The staff made me and my two boys feel valued,” Teryn Richards said.
It’s not a coincidence that the aisles in the store are named after neighborhoods and streets specific to Northwest Roanoke.
“We are filling a need that had been identified for years. This was a very collaborative effort. When COVID came around and the ARPA funding became available, $10 million was earmarked for a grocery store. That’s when Goodwill was approached, and the plans began to fall into motion,” Chelsea Moran, the Director of Marketing & Communications, said. “We wanted this grocery store to be as authentic to the community as possible.”
It still hasn’t fully hit Rantonio Morgan that a grocery store is actually in Northwest Roanoke. “This place is like diving into a new world full of possibilities. It’s hard to quantify just how much of an impact this is going to have in the community,” he said.
By the summer of 2025, the market plans on adding an adult high school, bank, wellness center and more to the plaza.
