AKRON, Ohio — The US Division of Agriculture’s Healthful Meals Financing Initiative (HFFI) was awarded the Paing Family Asian Grocery retailer with grant funding, which can be utilized to increase entry to healthful meals throughout the retailer’s south Akron neighborhood.
Siri Ache talked about she and her family are refugees from Myanmar. She talked about they bought right here to America in 2013 and took over what’s now known as the Painful Family Asian Grocery in 2019.
The store has purchased Asian objects and groceries for higher than 30 years. Ache outlined the establishing itself hasn’t had any upgrades all through that time.
“The roof could also be very earlier; it has been proper right here a really very long time—over 30 years proper right here,” Ache talked about. “On this establishing, we solely have one air conditioner, so we wish additional. We’ve got to switch the cooler and freezer, to get additional meals and get additional greens for the purchasers.”
Correct now, Ache talked about the store is barely ready to acquire shipments of up to date produce as quickly as each week ensuing from their lack of freezer and cooler home.
This could be a disadvantage for the people in her neighborhood because of the Ache Family Asian Grocery is the one walkable place throughout the neighborhood that sells up to date, cheap meals.
“Spherical proper right here, (this) is the one place they’re going to get some form of vegetable, the place they’re going to stroll and get it proper right here,” she talked about. “Usually, the purchasers come on like Monday, they normally ask for points and say, ‘Do you could possibly have this?’ and I’ve to tell them we do not need anymore—it’s purchased out.”
As a result of award money from the Healthful Meals Financing Initiative, Ache could have the flexibility to make these essential updates to her retailer.
“It is truly laborious to get these with out the grant,” she admitted.
She talked about this money will make it easier for her to supply a spot for her neighborhood to have entry to healthful meals.