In 2015, Just Harvest and the Allegheny County Health Department launched Fresh Corners, a healthy corner store initiative to improve access to fresh food in under-served Allegheny County neighborhoods.
The Problem
According to a 2012 federal report, among cities of its size (with populations of 250,000‐500,000) Pittsburgh has the largest percentage of people residing in communities with “low supermarket access.” At that time, nearly half (145,245) of Pittsburgh residents were experiencing this low access, and 71% of them were low‐income. Some people call such areas “food deserts,” but we and others refer to this systemic human-made phenomenon as food apartheid when it disproportionately afflicts communities of color.
Our 2013 report, “A Menu for Food Justice,” concluded that in solving this problem, “one size doesn’t fit all.” Just because a neighborhood lacks a large supermarket doesn’t mean a large supermarket is the solution for all neighborhoods. Diverse struggling neighborhoods have different sorts of barriers to access to nutritious and affordable food and different sorts of resources to address them.
A Solution
Like Fresh Access – our successful program to enable farmers markets to accept food stamps – Fresh Corners is a forward-looking and creative response to the problem of food apartheid. This program seeks to improve communities from within by partnering with local store owners to provide affordable access to fresh, nutritious, foods.
Our staff begins with a series of neighborhood assessments, stakeholder meetings, and focus groups necessary to identify the corner store owners and communities that are ready to undertake these new ventures. We make sure any store that joins the Fresh Corners network is also a SNAP retailer so that its new healthy foods can be purchased with food stamps. We supply store owners with the information and materials they need to succeed.
We supply store owners with the resources and information they need to succeed, and provide shoppers with access to fresh produce in their neighborhood. We are also proud of the fact that 11 of our 14 current Fresh Corners store owners are people of color.
Food Bucks and Fresh Corners
The Fresh Corners program has partnered with the Food Trust in order to provide the Food Bucks program at select Fresh Corners stores. The Food Bucks program aims to help SNAP shoppers purchase more fresh produce by providing coupons and incentives for SNAP purchases. Food Bucks can also be used at participating farmers markets.
| Fresh Corner Stores with Food Bucks: For every $5 that a customers spends in SNAP they receive a $2 Food Buck to purchase fresh produce at the store. SNAP transactions below $5 will still receive one $2 Food Buck. |
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| In & Out Market 300 Helen St, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 Hours: Daily 7 am–10 pm |
Produce Marketplace 519 Saint Clair Ave, Clairton, PA 15227 Hours: Tues-Sat 11 am–4 pm |
Rocks Express 700 Frederick St, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 Hours: Mon-Sun 8 am–10 pm |
Fresh Corners Locations
Fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, oranges, potatoes, and onions are now available – and can be purchased using food stamps – at the following ten stores.
Juba Grocery | Brentwood
2721 Brownsville Rd. 15227
Produce Marketplace | Clairton
519 Saint Clair Ave. 15227
Farm Fresh Food Market | East Liberty
226 N. Negley Ave. 15206
Sherry’s Family Market | East Pittsburgh
549 Bessemer Ave. 15112
Ann’s Market | The Hill
2316 Webster Ave. 15219
L. A. Grocery | Larimer
511 Larimer Ave. 15206
East African Grocery | McKees Rocks
1008 Dorhman Rd. 15136
In & Out | McKees Rocks
300 Helen St. 15136
Rocks Express | McKees Rocks
700 Frederick St. 15136
Bailey Food Mart | McKeesport
2316 Bailie Ave. 15132
Millvale Market | Millvale
524 Grant Ave. 15209
Yetter’s Candies | Millvale
504 Grant Ave. 15209
Schwartz Super Market | Uptown
1901 Fifth Ave 15219
Farmer Girl Eb | West End
1 Noblestown Rd. 15220
Want to see a Fresh Corners store in your neighborhood?
Contact our Fresh Corners coordinator:
Dawn Marie Clepper-Hall at [email protected] / (412) 643-4870
Trulieve’s mission is to provide high-quality and safe products their patients can trust. Fresh Corners is proud to partner with Trulieve to help drive community input on neighborhood food access needs!
Fresh Corners is also made possible by people like you. Please make a tax-deductible donation to support this program.
