Louisville Community Grocery

Louisville is composed of many diverse communities, each bringing its own unique flare to the city. Throughout the year, weekends in Louisville are filled with art festivals, flea markets, shows in every genre of music, and events that celebrate the cultures and heritages of Louisville’s diverse neighbors. And Louisville’s food, craft beer, and coffee scenes are nothing to sneeze at. But there’s a problem hidden behind Louisville’s accolades. Communities in West Louisville experience food insecurity at rates disproportionate to areas of East Louisville. Many residents in Louisville’s west end live more than half a mile from a supermarket and do not have access to a vehicle. These community members must either take long bus rides to the nearest grocers, resort to eating fast food, or source their food from convenience stores. And the recent closings of supermarkets in Central and West Louisville only exacerbate the problem. Among other problems of poverty, housing insecurity, and lack of economic investment, residents in West Louisville also experience serious health risks, many of which could be mitigated by access to healthy food. We are joining other organizations addressing food injustice in West Louisville, such as New Roots and Louisville Grows, by opening the city’s first community-owned grocery store. The Communities We Serve Neighborhoods being considered for the community-owned grocery are all considered food-insecure, including: Shawnee, Portland, Russell, Parkland, Old Louisville, and Smoketown/Shelby Park. We hope to empower these neighborhoods to build a grocery store that not only meets their food needs but also creates a space for building community. Whether you live in one of these neighborhoods, or simply believe in our mission to create an equitable food system, you can support the Louisville Community Grocery!