BOSTON – The Assabet Village Food Cooperative and State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and State Representative Kate Hogan (D-Stow) are pleased to announce that the Assabet Village Food Cooperative has received a $10,000 seed grant from the Food Co-op Initiative. The Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) is a non-profit organization that works with community groups across the United States to help them organize new retail food co-ops as efficiently and effectively as possible.
“This grant is very important for us to proceed with our next steps, particularly for the market and feasibility studies,” said Kathy Belisle, board member for the Assabet Village Food Cooperative. “Additionally, we have now gained the support and guidance of FCI. Their expertise will be invaluable to us as we move closer to achieving our goal of a cooperatively-owned grocery store in Maynard.”
The Assabet Village Food Cooperative (AVFC) seeks to fill the need for a grocery store in Maynard and the surrounding communities by opening their own grocery, which would operate as a member-owned, democratically governed business. The new grocery store would help drive growth in the local economy by providing jobs and supporting local food producers, while also providing access to healthy foods.
“The FCI grant is an important level of support in establishing a co-op that provides locally grown produce to Maynard and surrounding communities,” said Representative Hogan. “The AVFC has already identified future customers with a mailing list of over 800 individuals and now, in combination with this grant, they can turn all their hard work, fundraising, and organization into another jewel in the crown of the Maynard Downtown.”
“The level of support the Co-op has received from Maynard and the surrounding communities has been truly impressive and I appreciate the Co-op’s commitment to filling the need for a grocery store in Maynard, and congratulate them on receiving this grant,” said Senator Eldridge.
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