A new community grocery store opened in Flint, Michigan, in November, addressing a years-long food desert in that part of the city. The North Flint Food Market is finally open, after a decade-long journey to get its doors open.
Moving forward, residents will no longer have to go out of their way to get groceries, and the best part is that the grocery store is community-owned. For years, residents have faced the challenges associated with living in a food desert, where access to fresh, nutritious food has been severely limited. Traveling long distances to find grocery stores often placed undue strain on families, both financially and logistically.
The North Flint Food Market not only provides much-needed access to affordable groceries but does so under a model that prioritizes community ownership and involvement. “For over a decade, we wandered in the wilderness hoping for what many communities take for granted: access to healthy food, job and career opportunities, and business ownership and control of one’s destiny,” said Rev. Dr. Reginald Flynn, the co-owner of North Flint Food Market, to WNEM.
The store aims to provide a wide variety of healthy food options, including fresh produce, dairy, and whole grains, while also supporting local farmers and suppliers whenever possible. The market is a cooperative grocery store, which means it’s not owned by a major corporation. It’s by and for the people in the area. Members can join by applying and paying a one-time fee, but non-members can shop as well. Customers can find fresh produce, hot food, and more. In addition, the store created 40 more jobs in the neighborhood.
“I believe in what the North Flint Food Market represents—not just as a grocery store, but as a living example of what community ownership looks like,” Board member Darnell Ishmel said in a statement. “This co-op sits at the intersection of dignity and necessity. Food is not a luxury, and neither is employment or hope. I want to help steward this vision so that the Market remains by us, for us, and accountable to us.”
The North Flint Market Food Market arrives at a time when major grocery stores like Meijer and Kroger have left that part of town, leaving it without a convenient way to get food and supplies. But things are starting to look up. “We needed this store,” Iris Hart, a local who lives nearby, told WNEM. “And I praise God and thank God that we finally made it.”