With the support of several CMF members and the Michigan Strategic Fund, a new co-op urban grocery store will soon open in the north side of Flint to expand access to affordable healthy food options for area residents.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced last week that the project will revitalize a long-vacant building and help address health issues in the documented “food desert” of North Flint. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control food deserts are areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.

The USDA’s Food Access Research Atlas illustrates how food deserts are in both urban and rural areas statewide, with neighborhoods and areas that lack access to grocery stores in communities around the state.

The grocery store in Flint is expected to not only expand access to food options but also generate a total capital investment of $7 million while creating 27 permanent and full-time jobs.

"The new full-service grocery store in North Flint will help residents with the access to healthy, fresh food they deserve and offer a community space that will create jobs," Whitmer said in the press release.

"This community partnership and investment are delivering on this longstanding need in the community and helping to build the path for economic growth and recovery in Flint. The store will feed families, create jobs, and help us continue our economic jumpstart."  

CMF members supporting the project include the Ruth Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

"The North Flint Food Market Co-Op is a community-driven effort that expands access to affordable, healthy food that mitigates the effects of lead exposure for Flint families," Isaiah Oliver, president and CEO of CFGF and CMF trustee said in the press release. "The goals of the Food Co-Op align with the grant making strategy of the Flint Kids Fund and we are pleased to support this project with a $500,000 grant that fills a gap in north Flint's food desert."  

According to the press release, due to “chronic disinvestment by the departure of living‐wage employers” and regional supermarket operators, and from the effects of the Flint water crisis, the city of Flint has not had reliable access to fresh foods. 

"Access to affordable, fresh, healthy food is a priority for residents of north Flint," Raquel Thueme, president of the Ruth Mott Foundation said. "We're proud to be part of a diverse coalition supporting this resident-owned and -driven enterprise to strengthen the local economy and lay the groundwork for longer-term health and economic development benefits in north Flint."  

When the North Flint Food Market is completed, it will provide a full-service grocery store with access to fresh foods for the community. 

This latest effort is one of many supported by CMF members to increase access to fresh food in Flint. 

CFGF and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund helped support Flint’s produce prescription program which provides a $15 prescription to parents for fresh fruit and vegetables that can be filled at the Flint Farmers Market or through the Flint Fresh Food Hub.  

Flint Fresh is also supported by CFGF, Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation and offers residents who may not have access to healthy foods.

Want more?

Read the full press release.