AlabamaGroceryJan2017Final

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

“Our hope is that we can also get matching funds from private donors to increase the total HFFI to over $5 million.”

This Commission will present a report to the Legislature on why there should be funding for Healthy Food Financing in underserved communities. We know that in addition to increasing families’ access to healthy foods, new and improved grocery stores can help revitalize lower- income neighborhoods by generating foot traffic and will attract complementary services such as banks, pharmacies and restaurants, thus reducing poverty and crime. It also creates and maintains local jobs through new hiring opportunities and provides upgrades and renovations that help keep stores viable, helping to retain existing jobs in local communities.

We know this type of financing and projects will work. This type of model was first established in Pennsylvania with the state’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Seeded with $30 million, FFFI was designed to accommodate the diverse financing needs of large chain markets, family owned grocery stores, farmers’ markets and other food retailers. Pennsylvania’s program across the state supported 88 fresh food retail projects, represented more than 5,000 jobs created or retained and improved access to healthy foods for over 400,000 state residents.

We are asking our legislators for $1.3 million for the next two years to get this initiative started. Our hope is that we can also get matching funds from private donors to increase the total HFFI to over $5 million. We have had great support from our legislators on our Commission – Senators Greg Reed and Bobby Singleton and Representatives James Buskey and Connie Rowe. Please be sure to thank these legislators and encourage your local legislators to keep these funds in our budget for Healthy Food Financing as we move through the budget process in the 2017 Legislative Cycle.

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ALABAMA GROCER |