POWERGRAMS

39 For Glenda Williams, stopping by the local supermarket is not as easy as it sounds. But since a mobile grocery store first rolled into her neighborhood, Williams said it has made all the difference. "By me not having a car, it's more convenient, for one thing," said Williams. "For another, I like the prices of the food, and everything is so fresh. The people who run the market are so nice and friendly and helpful. That's what I really like about it." The traveling Corner Market, hosted by the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama (CFCA), stops at Williams's apartment complex in Tarrant twice monthly, bringing fresh produce nearly to her doorstep. It also makes monthly visits in Pratt City, Quinton and Sipsey. The food bank launched the Corner Market last August to provide healthy, affordable food to low-income families, disabled people and senior citizens living in neighborhoods without full-service grocery stores. The market is, in essence, a grocery store on wheels. Customers file through the single aisle of the 24-foot-long trailer browsing through fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, pasta, bread and other foods. Kathryn Strickland, CFCA executive director, said the market is perfect for families on a limited budget, particularly those who get SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. "A lot of families have to spend their limited food budget at gas station convenience stores where the food is not healthy," she said. "Before we began the Corner Market program, we held listening sessions in rural communities. What we heard over and over was that people want access to healthy food they can afford, and so we wanted to fill that gap." While waiting to get inside the trailer to shop for groceries, customers can take advantage of other on-site services. Agency representatives provide health screenings, information about SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps), Medicare and Farmers' Market vouchers. There are cooking demonstrations that offer tips to prepare nutritious meals for families. "Our customers are excited to have fresh products come into their community and be able to shop for them at reduced rates compared to local grocery stores," said SNAP Outreach Coordinator Adrian Anderson, who is always onboard the trailer when it rolls into town. "It's very convenient for them because the places we go are at housing facilities or in the central part of the community." The Alabama Power Foundation was instrumental in putting the market on the road. The foundation awarded $15,000 in 2016 to help pay for designing and retrofitting the trailer that houses the store. M o v i n g COMMUNITY FOOD BANK BRINGS GROCERIES TO IMMOBILE CUSTOMERS BY CARLA DAVIS SNAP Outreach Coordinator Adrian Anderson and AmeriCorps member Caryn Davis man the mobile store. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.

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