Cincinnati-based Last Mile Food Rescue fights hunger by transporting excess, perishable food from donor companies and restaurants to the nonprofit organizations serving people that need it most.
This summer, the organization partnered with System to Achieve Food Equity, or SAFE, to deliver some of that food directly to consumers in Cincinnati’s Avondale neighborhood.
Residents there are expecting a new grocery store to open at the renovated Avondale Town Center, but it hasn’t yet. That makes it difficult for people in the neighborhood to access fresh food.
Last Mile Market served 440 shoppers in its first month of operation in Avondale. And volunteers helped distribute more than 14,000 pounds of food, which provided more than 12,000 meals to families and individuals.
The market is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. through the end of August and plans to continue operating through the fall. It’s located at The Community Builders Center at 3635 Reading Road in Avondale.
Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss Last Mile Market are Last Mile Food Rescue Chief Operating Officer Eileen Budo; The Community Builders health champion and Avondale Community Council board member Jennifer Foster; and Connie Stewart, the lead community engagement consultant at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
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