This brief provides an overview of Reinvestment Fund's healthy food access investments and initaitives. A community development financial institution (CDFI), Reinvestment Fund is a national leader in the financing of neighborhood revitalization. Beginning with the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative in 2004, Reinvestment Fund has taken a comprehensive approach to improving access to healthy, fresh food in low-income communities through the innovative use of capital and information.

The document outlines the indicators included in the Research Your Community mapping tool, including their sources. 

Since 1990, Jackson, Mississippi has experienced notable demographic growth and transformation — driven mostly by an increase in the Black and Latino populations. Today, these demographic shifts persist. By growing good jobs, connecting younger generations with older ones, integrating immigrants into the economy, Jackson can put all residents on the path towards reaching their full potential and secure a bright future for the city and region. This equity analysis of Jackson was developed with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Read the full profile.

Manuel B. Vicente has owned and operated a grocery store Brockton, MA, for 20 years that started as a small specialty food store and has grown into a full-size supermarket. In spring 2015, Vicente opened a second store that almost doubles the size of the existing store and creates a modern, full-service store catering to the tastes and preferences of the Cape Verdean community that predominates the city of Brockton, a suburb south of Boston. The market is located in a low-income census tract (55% of AMI) and serves residents of Limited Supermarket Access areas.

Developed by the Food Co-op Initiative, this guide aims to provide organizers, board members, and development centers with an interactive introduction to starting a food co-op, including an overview of what is important in all stages of your co-op’s development

Produced by Share our Strengths: Cooking Matters, this report, It’s Dinnertime: A Report on Low-Income Families’ Efforts to Plan, Shop for and Cook Healthy Meals, provides an overview of low-income families' efforts to plan, shop for and cook healthy meals.

With millions in public and private investments on the horizon, Buffalo, New York, is poised for resurgence. But if new investments do not address persistent racial and economic inequities, the city’s long-term economic future is at risk. This health equity and inclusive growth profile offers leaders data and strategies to undergird policy solutions to advance health equity, inclusive growth, and a culture of health. They were developed by PolicyLink and the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) at USC, in partnership with Open Buffalo, and with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Read the policy brief and the full profile.

Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Honor Capital, a veteran-owned business with a dual mission to employ returning veterans and to alleviate food desert communities, partners with others dedicated to improving the health and wellness of communities by building and operating Save-A-Lot grocery stores. 

This issue of the Grocery Entrepreneur discusses their work and plans to open and operate 10 grocery stores under the Save-A-Lot banner across Oklahoma food deserts. Together these stores, located in both urban and rural areas, will improve access for nearly 40,000 low-income households annually and create more than 270 permanent jobs.

Grand Rapids is an increasingly diverse city. While it has experienced some overall population loss over the last decade, communities of color have significantly grown – and their ability to participate and thrive is central to the city’s success. This profile shows how equitable growth is the path to sustained economic prosperity in the region. It was developed with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to assist local community groups, elected officials, planners, business leaders, funders, and others working to build a stronger and more equitable city. Read the full profile and see the press release.