GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — A new market coming to the city's southeast side aims to fill a gap in access to fresh, healthy food while sourcing from local farms and businesses.
Alita Kelly, founder of South East Market, signed a lease on a building on Kalamazoo Avenue SE last month. On Tuesday, she got the keys.
"It's time," Kelly said while standing in the newly remodeled building.
About six years ago, Kelly said she discovered the way that food could transform her quality of life as she dealt with dietary related illness. It changed the way she and her young daughter ate and lived. When she moved to the southeast side of Grand Rapids she realized access to fresh, healthy foods was lacking.
"The very top priority for this market is to increase healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food for the 49507 zip code," said Kelly, who recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in environmental science and sustainable business.
Kelly said since there's a large presence of charitable food organizations in West Michigan, some people had suggested she follow a similar route by becoming a nonprofit.
"I am a for profit company, but that doesn't mean that we can't have a conscience," Kelly said. "I want to challenge this community to support a for profit venture that still has a heart and soul."
As a Black entrepreneur, Kelly said both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current racial justice movement has only further displayed the need for the market as a long-term solution.
"I'm taking it as a personal responsibility to do what I can with the privilege that I have with the education and understanding that I have to support my community because this is where I live, too. These are my neighbors, and if you can't do good, where you're at, like, what are you really doing?" she said.
"I think that the community is ready to see someone like me carry out those tasks, and I'm ready for it."
South East Market is more than a grocery store, she says, it's a 'food hub' where local producers, businesses and farmers can sell their product. The focus first is on Black, brown and Indigenous suppliers, as well as, women-owned operations. Another priority for Kelly is to ensure nothing goes to waste by utilizing concepts like a consignment model with local producers.
"I'm hoping that we can become this space in West Michigan where you know that when you bring your food from your farm, you know that it's going to be taken care of well," Kelly said. "We're figuring out ways to catch the food before it goes into the trash."
The Grand Rapids native said she's been in discussion with neighbors to understand what would serve them best. To start, Kelly will serve 30 customers through the end of the year to fine-tune her approach. Those customers will use a web-based platform to pick out their items, which can then be picked up or delivered. Delivery will be a part of the long term model, Kelly says, to ensure neighbors who are not able to come into the store still have access to the products.
Kelly said the outpouring of support for the market so far has been crucial in making it a reality.
"I'm honored that I have so many people behind me. So this market, it's not my market. This is our market like the people have spoken. We're ready for this."
South East Market does need financial support as it builds, Kelly said. Click here learn more and donate to South East Market.
South East Market, with support from the NAACP of Greater Grand Rapids, also recently received an investment from the city for a months-long series teaching young residents about social movements, food sovereignty and more. Click here to learn more about the MLK Freedom School.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.