​Photo: Spectrum News 1​
New efforts to bring healthy food to underserved New York communities
By Mercedes Williams City of Albany
PUBLISHED 10:11 AM ET Jun. 19, 2022 PUBLISHED June 19, 2022 @10:11 AM
Price Chopper, Shop Rite, Walmart, grocery stores Gail Foust frequents, but without a car, it's not a typical store run.
She lives in an area that is considered to be a food desert. The nearest supermarket is a 17-minute walk, which isn't an option for the disabled senior.
So she makes her way to her local bus stop to embark on her weekly grocery run. Along the way, she meets her neighbor Maddie, who is always on the hunt for nearby nutrition.
Just across the street, Travon Jackson has been on a mission to bring those resources to the south end, turning a long abandoned restaurant into a full service supermarket.
"The families and seniors in this area will have a walkable place to receive healthy food," Travon Jackson, Albany SouthEnd Grocery founder, said.
The Albany resident purchased the property through investors and his organization, Blue Light Group, in December of 2021.
He says the future store will not only close the gap on food insecurity in the area but also employ locals too.
"And that means better lives, and healthy outcomes and that's generational change," Jackson said.
Which will go a long way to lighten the load for residents like Gail.