StarkFresh's Alliance store to offer an oasis in a food desert
ALLIANCE ‒ An impoverished area of the city that has existed as a food desert will get a boost with a StarkFresh grocery store.
The Canton-based nonprofit formally announced Monday that the grand opening of its Alliance store will be 11 a.m. Oct. 9. The full-service store will be inside The Alliance Commons at 405 S. Linden Ave., the former Alliance Neighborhood Center.
“We’re excited about having this store location meet the immediate needs of the neighborhood surrounding the Commons,” said Tom Phillips, executive director of StarkFresh. “We’re humbled by the support that Alliance continues to show and their willingness to move beyond the status quo to support meaningful change throughout their community.”
About 73% of those who live around the center are in poverty, making it one of the city's most impoverished areas. The north section of the city, where the center resides, has not had a full-service grocery store in almost four years.
"Alliance, much like other areas within Stark County, has seen investment in urban residential neighborhoods decline over the past half-century, creating pockets where there is no access to affordable groceries," a news release from StarkFresh said.
Hoping to improve this situation, multiple agencies − including StarkFresh − have joined forces and opened a variety of services in The Commons. Alliance YWCA, Men's Challenge, Sports Outreach and the University of Mount Union are other tenants.
The Commons is supported and managed by the Greater Alliance Foundation in partnership with Mount Union and other agencies. Some of the services already available include a clothing store, job training and life skills programs.
Councilwoman Cindy King, whose ward includes the area around The Commons, called the grocery store "a big deal" for the residents.
"It's been a long time coming," she said. "I'm excited."
Special discounts will be available
According to StarkFresh, the Alliance location is nearly double the size of its Canton location and initially will be open 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
Anyone can shop at the store.
The nonprofit said there will be special incentives for those "who need it most," including 50% discounts for those with SNAP cards. Also, a GIVE Alliance 365 grant from the Greater Alliance Foundation will give SNAP users an extra $5 discount on purchases.
The funding to open the store came from The Geraldine Burnell-Brotzman Charitable Fund of the Greater Alliance Foundation; AARP; the Greater Alliance Development Corporation; and the city of Alliance through Community Development Block Grant funds.
Mayor Andy Grove called the StarkFresh store "a terrific addition to the north side."
"It's local. People can walk there," Grove said Monday. "It's close to neighborhoods and close to apartment buildings, so we're excited about it."
Additional support has come from the Greater Alliance Foundation and the Mount Union Regula Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement students and staff. For more information, visit www.starkfresh.org.
Celebrity chef showdown to raise funds
StarkFresh will host a Celebrity Chef Showdown fundraiser at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at The Commons. Tickets are $125 a person or $200 a couple.
The event will feature chefs James Moore of Blue Smoke at Belden Village Mall; Demond Germany of Scratch Steakhouse in Louisville; and Michael Jarzenski of Feel Good BBQ and Melange in Canton.
Tickets include hor d'oeuvres from chef Bri Welk, owner of Fire & Fig, and two free drink tickets at a cash bar. Tours of the grocery store will be offered.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: StarkFresh to open Alliance store Oct. 9 in The Commons
