Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market
Saxonburg, PA

“Feeding our community is the most honorable thing a grocer can strive to do. The PA FFFI is the vessel that helps create that opportunity.” – Doug Sprankle, owner of Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg, PA.

When Saxonburg, a small town in Butler County, PA, lost its only grocery store in 2018, residents were left with few fresh food options. Doug Sprankle, of Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market, wanted to fill this fresh food gap. With support of the PA FFFI, the Sprankles family  purchased the vacant building and re-opened the store under their management. Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg is now the family’s third family-run supermarket.

South Philly Food Coop
South Philadelphia, PA

South Philadelphia’s only community-owned grocery store opened in December 2020. With a mission to use food as a force for good, South Philly Food Co-op’s new, full-service grocery store provides fresh, locally sourced foods to the community. While membership is not required to shop at SPFC, the store currently has over 1,900 members, and established a Community Equity Fund to make member-ownership accessible to individuals at varying income-levels. The store also operates a monthly “Round-Up” donation program and a food bag donation program, and recently began accepting Food Bucks.

Financing from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative supported the final construction of the new, 3,333 sq. ft. grocery store. The store offers a variety of fresh food and non-perishables, sourced from the local area, and a selection of foods provided through National Co-op Grocers, which promotes more competitive pricing.

The South Philly Food Co-op has embodied the mission of the PA FFFI by bringing fresh, high-quality, affordable food to South Philadelphia, and by facilitating community involvement wherever possible.

For more information about South Philly Food Co-op visit, https://www.southphillyfood.coop/.

General Manager: Lori Burge
County: Philadelphia County
Region: Southeast
Geographical context: Urban
Date Funded: February 2020
Grant Amount: $40,000

Northern Butler County Farmers Market
Petrolia, PA

Northern Butler County Farmers Market is a community-run farmers market located in Butler County, PA. With a focus on local products, the farmers market will offer a variety of items including fresh produce, honey, dairy, and local artisan products.

The project, led by Butler County Community Development Corporation in partnership with Zimmerman Family Farms and Five Element Farms, will bring fresh, healthy food to a community where residents currently need to drive 30 minutes to access the closest full-service grocery store.

A $20,000 grant from the PA FFFI will be used to kick-start the market, which plans to open in spring 2021.

Community: Petrolia
County: Butler County
Region: West
Geographical context: Rural
Date Funded: September 2020|
Grant Amount: $20,000

Mill Creek Farm
West Philadelphia, PA

“The PAFFFI grant is allowing Mill Creek Farm to expand its educational outreach outside the farm boundaries by assisting people grow food in their own backyards and front yards”

– Martha Griffin, Farm Administrator

Founded in 2005, Mill Creek Farm is an educational farm led by people of color. Located in the Millcreek neighborhood of West Philadelphia, the farm grows and sells fresh produce to the local community at affordable prices. Mill Creek Farm offers farm-based learning programs to both youth and adults in the community, in an effort to reconnect people with food and the environment.

Funding from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative supported the hiring of local employees, furthering educational programs, purchasing supplies for the farm and developing marketing materials.

Mill Creek Farm pairs healthy, locally grown food with environmental activism, by offering their community fresh, affordable produce while prioritizing social justice and sustainability.

Hung Vuong
West Philadelphia, PA

Hung Vuong Supermarket prioritizes serving fresh and high-quality produce to their community, with a mission statement of “Fresh Quality for a Better Community!”

Hung Vuong Supermarket is an immigrant-owned Philadelphia-area grocery store chain specializing in Asian food, fresh produce, meat, and seafood. Originally a single store, the supermarket has since expanded into 3 locations: South Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, and Cherry Hill, NJ. Hung Vuong employs hundreds of workers and provides skills and jobs training to many employees. 

Funding from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative supported the expansion of Hung Vuong’s delivery capacity, which is now offered anywhere within an hour drive of the store. This expansion has increased access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods to low-income, senior, and Asian communities around Philadelphia, and has given Hung Vuong Supermarket the competitive advantage they needed during the COVID-19 pandemic against larger, corporate supermarkets.

Millvale Market
Millvale, PA

Millvale Market is a new corner grocery store located outside of Pittsburgh. Specializing in locally sourced fresh food and grocery staples, the business is the borough of Millvale’s first grocery store in over 20 years. Affordability is a key concern for owners Dereck Dumont and Jen Saffron, who were galvanized by the food insecurity exposed by the COVID pandemic to offer their moderate-income community a source of healthy food at a walkable distance. Beyond accepting SNAP, Millvale Market has also partnered with The Food Trust’s team in Pittsburgh to provide an additional nutrition incentive, Food Bucks, at its site. 

Funding from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative allowed the business to purchase and install 5 food merchandisers, including one each for produce, dairy, and prepared foods.

Weavers Way Co-op
Philadelphia, PA

Weaver’s Way Co-op is a member-owned grocery store specializing in healthy, local foods that sustain both people and the environment. Thanks in part to pre-development funds for community outreach from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a new location is coming to Germantown. The presence of the store will fill an identified gap in the neighborhood for fresh, healthy food retail and create approximately 40 new jobs in the community. The Germantown store will be accessible via public transit and accept SNAP benefits. Weaver’s Way will further encourage affordability through its Food For All program, whereby members receiving SNAP can save an additional 15% discount on almost all items in the store. 

Weaver’s Way Co-op’s commitment to identifying the needs and goals of its community made the project a strong fit for the PA FFFI.