Grocery awarded $125K federal grant to boost healthy food entry in Jefferson County | West Virginia
CHARLES City, W.Va. — A Charles Town grocery has acquired a $125,000 federal grant to extend balanced food items accessibility in Jefferson County, W.Va.
The Bushel & Peck foods hub project at 100 W. Washington St. is amid 20 initiatives throughout the U.S. to be awarded monetary help by way of the 2020 spherical of America’s Balanced Food stuff Funding Initiative’s Focused Compact Grants Software, according to an announcement by Philadelphia-based Reinvestment Fund.
Reinvestment Fund was appointed in 2017 by the U.S. Division of Agriculture to serve as the nationwide fund supervisor for its healthier foods financing initiative.
The $3 million in grant awards is licensed by the 2014 Farm Bill passed by Congress.
Bushel & Peck, a locally sourced retail grocery, is expected use the funds to acquire new coolers, shelving and other tools to expand meals choices, update grocery personal computer devices and position of sales and stock devices, perform a local community promoting marketing campaign and launch a plan to extend into vacant and below-used downtown properties in Charles Town with the objective of turning out to be a real “food items hub,” in accordance to the grocery.
The promoting campaign is aimed to draw in far more customers, with a aim on SNAP recipients, minority people, aged and other vulnerable neighborhood inhabitants and people needing superior entry to healthier food items.
Enter for the system to expand to a foods hub is expected to arrive from group and expert foods economy consultants. Sides of the food hub by itself are predicted to include indoor food stuff shops, outside foods markets, connections to community gardens and a bulk foodstuff distribution heart that can serve anchor institutions like college and health and fitness centers.
“Bushel & Peck was introduced in 2017 to deliver greater access to wholesome foods for all folks in Jefferson County, to improve our farm and food financial state and to push downtown revitalization in historic Charles City,” Todd Coyle, Bushel & Peck’s chief functioning officer, said in a information launch.
“With this grant award, Bushel & Peck will extend its wholesome foods choices to the group, perform outreach to new buyers and households who are battling with hunger and bad diet, and discover the creation of a extra robust Meals Hub that can make farm-fresh foods a even larger aspect of our area lives in Jefferson County,” extra Coyle, who also serves on the Charles City Metropolis Council.
Grant awardees have been picked as a result of a competitive process that was open to eligible new foodstuff retail tasks seeking fiscal and technical assistance to get over the increased prices and first obstacles to entry in underserved places. There were 245 programs nationwide, with a full ask for for extra than $40 million in funding, according to the Reinvestment Fund’s announcement.
Bushel & Peck is in the Charles Washington Corridor creating, which Charles City officials worked to restore about several a long time. The metropolis presented a backed lease for use of the 1st floor as a grocery, and also placed the Charles City People Heart there to raise attraction to the marketplace. The developing also is the household of Ortega’s Taco Shop.
