by Shawn Nowlin
There is a new addition to the Roanoke community, and it has a lot of people excited.
The nonprofit organization LEAP, an acronym for Local Environmental Agriculture Project, had the grand opening for its grocery store in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood on July 31. The ceremony included tastings, tours of the building, lawn games, prizes, activities for kids and speakers.
Located at 1027 Patterson Avenue, the store is open Wednesday through Friday, from noon to 7 p.m. In large part because of $2.5 million in federal pandemic relief money that went to renovation, the store became a reality after years of hard work and negotiations.
Fresh local produce is offered at a significantly reduced cost for individuals on government assistance programs. More specifically, for any shopper using SNAP, Medicaid or the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, vegetables and fruits are priced half-off.
Items are color-coded to indicate to shoppers where they came from. As purple labels specify that food is grown or made within 100 miles, for green labels, that radius is 300 miles. Among the non-local items that LEAP sells include crackers, pasta and rice.
Director of Programs Kelly Key said, “We are striving to make the LEAP Community Store a one-stop shop for food needs, while at the same time focusing on local and regionally produced foods.”
Balancing affordability and regionalism is no easy task, but it’s a daily commitment from the organization.
“This store is for everyone. By opening it, we are able to offer local fruits and vegetables to the greater Roanoke community for many more hours than our farmer’s markets and mobile market can,” LEAP Communications Manager Christina Nifong said. “Along with increased access for shoppers, comes increased support for farmers. The more that shoppers buy, the more income and stability for the farmers and food producers LEAP purchases from.”
Out of the 193 USDA identified food deserts in Virginia, Roanoke ranks towards the bottom half. Data reveals that the West End neighborhood is one of the lowest-income areas in the city.
According to the Census, one in three adults are living in poverty. “The number of people who have access and can afford healthy food is smaller than one may think. I don’t make a lot of money, but I get up every morning and bust my behind to provide for my family. The first time I visited the store with my kids, we were all just blown away,” Josh Jones said.
On what else she would like people to know, Nifong explained, “We have had a longstanding relationship and commitment to the West End community. Obviously, without purchasing the building, there would be no store. Our mission is to create an equitable food and farming system which prioritizes health in abundance.”
Previously a vacant church for years, the grocery store also has a community room that people can reserve for meetings. While it won’t solve everything, the grocery store is expected to have a massive impact.
For the most up-to-date information, visit www.leapforlocalfood.org.
