Representative Dwight Evans (PA-Philadelphia) assisted The Food Trust in presenting the FFFI Champion Awards. They include Brown’s Super Stores, accepted by Paul Brauer; Boyer’s Food Markets, accepted by John Boyer, Pat Smith, The Reinvestment Fund; Allison Blansfield of The Enterprise Center CDC (Philadelphia), accepting the award on behalf of Della Clark. Duane Perry, founder of The Food Trust; David McCorkle, PFMA; Representative Evans; and Yael Lehmann, executive director, The Food Trust. Government officials, social service groups and supermarkets reviewed the success, lessons learned and the future of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI) during the Pennsylvania Healthy Food Access Summit on December 8 in Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA), The Food Trust and the Reinvestment Fund hosted the summit, which featured speakers from government, supermarket retailers who benefitted from grants and loans; members of The Food Trust, which continues to map the state's access to grocery stores, and the Reinvestment Fund, which provides loans to businesses for projects to provide healthy food access.
It's been 13 years since the Commonwealth allocated $30 million to the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Seeded with those state funds, the FFFI grew to $145 million and provided grants and loans to help supermarkets and other healthy food retailers build or expand stores in underserved communities. The grant program concluded in 2010, when the state funds were depleted. From 2004-2010, the FFFI funded 88 projects for fresh food retail, created or preserved 5,000 jobs and 400,000 Pennsylvanians gained improved access to healthy food.
"The marketplace has changed over the past 13 years," said David McCorkle, PFMA president and CEO, who actively supported and promoted the program from its inception. "We need to determine ways that we can adjust to that change and that's why we're here today."
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding said providing healthy food access is complicated due to the many layers of the issue that we have to confront.
"We have to believe that in a nation that prides itself on the production capacity of agriculture that the number of food insecure people is unacceptable," Secretary Redding said. "Agriculture has a piece in solving that problem, but only a piece. It's going to takes a lot of other people to get this done."
John Boyer of Boyer's Markets shared his experience with the FFFI. In 2008, his company leveraged grant money and loans to make major upgrades to eight locations. Those upgrades included energy efficient lighting and cases, which was vitally important as the rate caps for electricity came off.
"Sales increases in the stores were immediate and have been sustained," Boyer said. "The fresh department sales have outpaced the other departments. It's been a real win for Boyer's and for our customers," he said.
Cheryl Hall-Russell, Hill House Economic Development Corporation, discussed working with the Ross family to open a Shop 'n Save in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The area had been without a supermarket for 30 years and the residents were doubtful that they would ever get one. With an FFFI grant, support from philanthrophic organizations, traditional bank financing and other sources, they raised $12.5 million. The 29,500 square foot Shop 'n Save opened in October 2013 to great support from the neighborhood. During its first two years, the store has provided greater fresh food access for the community, job and economic development with four new businesses opening in the area. It also has challenges, such as employee turnover, pricing perception, not all residents using the store as their primary shopping destination, and the slow development of new housing.
Russell said a recent study found that the perception of the neighborhood is better and people are happier where they live, but eating habits are slow to change. She said more than a year is necessary to see positive changes for health.
Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) shared his memories of going to the grocery store as a child and later watching the neighborhood supermarkets disappear. He was critical to getting his fellow lawmakers to support funding for the FFFI. The program became a national model as the Obama Administration adopted it and the federal FFFI passed as part of the Farm Bill in 2014. Representative Evans was on hand as Brown's Super Stores, Kennie's Markets and The Fresh Grocer talked about the program with First Lady Michelle Obama as she introduced her "Let's Move! campaign.
"We still have a long way to go," Representative Evans said. "You, as a summit can move this forward."
Other speakers at the conference included Heather Hallman, advisor to Governor Wolf on Food and Nutrition Programs, and Deputy Secretary Joe Meade, Community Affairs and Development in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Hallman discussed the governor's executive order directing food and nutrition programs to work together and update the "Blueprint for a Hunger-Free Pennsylvania." She said not only do we need to improve access, but also teach life skills such as how to cook fruits and vegetables.
Deputy Secretary Meade said the Wolf Administration will study the mapping information presented by Caroline Harries of The Food Trust. The research shows the areas with the greatest need in Pennsylvania.
Gabrielle Mora, The Food Trust, said they will continue to engage the group about healthy food access. They would like Pennsylvania to reinvest in the FFFI.
Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA), The Food Trust and the Reinvestment Fund hosted the summit, which featured speakers from government, supermarket retailers who benefitted from grants and loans; members of The Food Trust, which continues to map the state's access to grocery stores, and the Reinvestment Fund, which provides loans to businesses for projects to provide healthy food access.
It's been 13 years since the Commonwealth allocated $30 million to the Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Seeded with those state funds, the FFFI grew to $145 million and provided grants and loans to help supermarkets and other healthy food retailers build or expand stores in underserved communities. The grant program concluded in 2010, when the state funds were depleted. From 2004-2010, the FFFI funded 88 projects for fresh food retail, created or preserved 5,000 jobs and 400,000 Pennsylvanians gained improved access to healthy food.
"The marketplace has changed over the past 13 years," said David McCorkle, PFMA president and CEO, who actively supported and promoted the program from its inception. "We need to determine ways that we can adjust to that change and that's why we're here today."
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding said providing healthy food access is complicated due to the many layers of the issue that we have to confront.
"We have to believe that in a nation that prides itself on the production capacity of agriculture that the number of food insecure people is unacceptable," Secretary Redding said. "Agriculture has a piece in solving that problem, but only a piece. It's going to takes a lot of other people to get this done."
John Boyer of Boyer's Markets shared his experience with the FFFI. In 2008, his company leveraged grant money and loans to make major upgrades to eight locations. Those upgrades included energy efficient lighting and cases, which was vitally important as the rate caps for electricity came off.
"Sales increases in the stores were immediate and have been sustained," Boyer said. "The fresh department sales have outpaced the other departments. It's been a real win for Boyer's and for our customers," he said.
Cheryl Hall-Russell, Hill House Economic Development Corporation, discussed working with the Ross family to open a Shop 'n Save in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The area had been without a supermarket for 30 years and the residents were doubtful that they would ever get one. With an FFFI grant, support from philanthrophic organizations, traditional bank financing and other sources, they raised $12.5 million. The 29,500 square foot Shop 'n Save opened in October 2013 to great support from the neighborhood. During its first two years, the store has provided greater fresh food access for the community, job and economic development with four new businesses opening in the area. It also has challenges, such as employee turnover, pricing perception, not all residents using the store as their primary shopping destination, and the slow development of new housing.
Russell said a recent study found that the perception of the neighborhood is better and people are happier where they live, but eating habits are slow to change. She said more than a year is necessary to see positive changes for health.
Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) shared his memories of going to the grocery store as a child and later watching the neighborhood supermarkets disappear. He was critical to getting his fellow lawmakers to support funding for the FFFI. The program became a national model as the Obama Administration adopted it and the federal FFFI passed as part of the Farm Bill in 2014. Representative Evans was on hand as Brown's Super Stores, Kennie's Markets and The Fresh Grocer talked about the program with First Lady Michelle Obama as she introduced her "Let's Move! campaign.
"We still have a long way to go," Representative Evans said. "You, as a summit can move this forward."
Other speakers at the conference included Heather Hallman, advisor to Governor Wolf on Food and Nutrition Programs, and Deputy Secretary Joe Meade, Community Affairs and Development in the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Hallman discussed the governor's executive order directing food and nutrition programs to work together and update the "Blueprint for a Hunger-Free Pennsylvania." She said not only do we need to improve access, but also teach life skills such as how to cook fruits and vegetables.
Deputy Secretary Meade said the Wolf Administration will study the mapping information presented by Caroline Harries of The Food Trust. The research shows the areas with the greatest need in Pennsylvania.
Gabrielle Mora, The Food Trust, said they will continue to engage the group about healthy food access. They would like Pennsylvania to reinvest in the FFFI.
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