A local non-profit is taking an innovative approach to address food insecurity in the community.
The Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association is expanding their services with food kiosks. They'll be opening three food kiosks with the $158,000 grant awarded through America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
The grant aims to help organizations operating in undeserved areas. Leon County has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the state.
Jim Bellamy said this grant will help address food insecurity by allowing families to have access to healthy food all the time. "People in our community to be able to purchase fresh foods, fruits and vegetables, eggs, and those kind of products on a regular basis, 24/7," said Bellamy.
Local growers with the Frenchtown Farmer's Market and the Kitchen Share program...will provide the food in the kiosks. The grant will also help local growers expand their businesses.
"Business development, branding, business management, advertising, marketing, even things like personnel management so that growers have this now accessible opportunity to grow for themselves what they know how to do well," said Sorne.
Brien R. Sorne is the CEO of Alcom Corporation of Florida, Inc. He has been partnering with FNIA since 2018. His goal is to help remind the community of who they really are.
"Frenchtown represents a restatement of what it means to believe in fresh food, accessibility and profitability," said Sorne.
Bellamy believes the new expansions will have a long lasting impact. "It's been a great value to the people in our community and we're hoping in the future we'll even be a greater value."
Possible kiosk locations are at FINA, the Renassance Community Center and the Standard.
