All People’s Fresh Market, first announced last June to be taking over an old beer and wine drive-thru on Parsons Avenue, will have a grand opening next month. Run by the Church for All People’s Healthy Eating and Living Director Erin West, the market will supply free fresh fruits and vegetables to anyone earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
The All People’s market was first open on the east side of Parsons, but the current location will offer more space and customer traffic. West said that although the produce provided by the federal government will be reserved for those that are income-eligible, the market will also find a produce supply through Kroger and Walmart, which will be available to people along the entire income spectrum. Come spring, that supply stream will broaden to include local growers as well, whose produce is not currently in season.
South Side Area Commission member Atticus Garden said the market could be more than a produce supplier, but a community connector as well.
“When I learned about the Fresh Market, when I learned they had taken an abandoned liquor store and were going to turn it into a hub of health and wellness, and not just to tackle the food insecurity that exists on the South Side (23 percent of families on the South Side are food insecure), but also create this place where people, regardless of whether they live in Southern Orchards or Schumaker Place, Merion Village and German Village and other neighborhoods west of Parsons, where these two communities could come together and gather,” Garden said. “That is well worth supporting.”
In light of that, West said the plan is to host a variety of community events when the market is closed, from live music performances and parties, to food and nutrition classes, to aromatherapy and stress reduction sessions. The market will also feature a paint-by-numbers mural to be completed by a group of residents.
All People’s Fresh Market will have a soft opening next Tuesday, February 27 and a grand opening on Thursday, March 8. It’s located at 945 Parsons Ave.
For more information, visit its Facebook page or 4allpeople.org.