The Community Grocer: Building a Movement

July 2026: We're Almost There

The walls are up. The hood is installed. The equipment arrives on July 13th. And we're hiring.

After years of construction, late nights, and unwavering belief in this vision, The Community Grocer is racing toward our early fall soft launch and opening. We're building something unprecedented in Southwest Philadelphia, and we need exceptional people to help us get across the finish line.

This month, we're also celebrating some major wins: our work on Food as Medicine is gaining attention at the state level, our team is shaping Philadelphia's food policy future, and we're welcoming incredible new partners and board members who believe in our mission.

But we can't do this alone. As we enter the final stretch, we need you! Whether that's joining our team, supporting our work financially, or spreading the word to someone who's ready to be part of this movement.

Below, check out everything happening in July and how you can get involved.

Support our Work

July 2026 SNAPSHOTS

📍 National Grocery Retail for All Summit

📍 Philadelphia Food & Nutrition Security Task Force

📍 Construction Updates

📍 Hiring & Apprentices

📍 Mural Dedication & Community BBQ

📍 Food as Healthcare - Advocacy in Harrisburg

📍 Welcome Mike Banks to Board

📍 Support Our Work: We Cannot Do This Without You

📍 New Sponsors

National Grocery Retail for All Summit

On June 18th, our Co-Founder Eli presented the journey of The Community Grocer on a national stage to 200+ leaders from grocery retail, public health, policy, finance, philanthropy, research, and community organizations at the National Grocery Retail for All Summitt.

The vision we were sharing: how do we scale what works in underserved, low-income, rural, and urban communities to ensure persistent nutrition access for all?

Although our opening is still a couple of months away, our vision is becoming a national blueprint for what’s possible when we build with intention, care, and innovation.

The whole talk will be available via Youtube in the coming weeks.

Philadelphia Food & Nutrition Security Task Force

Over a year ago we were appointed as the youngest delegates to serve on the Philadelphia Food & Nutrition Security Task Force. Last week, we joined City Council President and members of the task force to announce recommendations to address food apartheid in our city. This comes after months of community listening sessions, advocacy work, and co-creation with leaders from across organizations doing incredible work to serve our city.

This report is just the beginning. More to come 💚

Check out our segment on 6ABC here: https://6abc.com/post/philadelphia-city-council-introduces-plan-create-office-address-food-insecurity/19365202/

Construction Updates

Last month we shared photos of our building without walls. Today, our drywall is complete, the hood is installed, FRP and flooring are being installed, interior painting has begun, and our equipment is scheduled for delivery on July 13th. We'll have a very special visitor on July 16th to see the progress firsthand. We are almost there!

Keep reading to see how you can witness the build yourself!

We Are Hiring!

We're seeking passionate leaders with proven operational experience in grocery, quick service, and/or culinary settings. Now open: Assistant General Manager and Assistant Kitchen Manager positions.

If you or someone you know would like to join our paid apprenticeship program and take the first step (or next step) in your career, our interest form is live.

Apply via our website: https://www.thecommunitygrocer.org/jobs

Upcoming Event - Community BBQ & Mural Dedication

With construction nearing its end, we are hosting a Community Barbecue, Mural Dedication, and Open House for our neighbors on July 18th from 12:00pm–5:00pm at 627 S. 60th Street.

This is a celebration of years of effort culminating in our completed building and our partnership with PopArt Academy & W.C. Bryant Promise Academy. We'll reveal our Mural, designed by local elementary students and painted by local muralists and neighbors, and give tours of the space.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for delicious grilled chicken (from Carversville Farm Foundation), healthy sides, great music, and community connection.

At the Table: Food Is Health Care

This week, we traveled to Harrisburg as the Shapiro Administration announced $900,000 in state funding for medically tailored meals for Medicaid recipients with chronic health conditions. This statewide "Food Is Medicine" initiative validates what we've long known: food is one of our most powerful tools for health and equity.

At The Community Grocer, this is exactly the work we're building through GroceryRx and our research partnerships with Penn Medicine. Being part of these conversations in Harrisburg reminds us that our local model is part of a larger movement. It proves that investing in food access isn't just good policy, it's smart economics. We're grateful to be at the table as Pennsylvania leads the nation in recognizing that health starts at the grocery store.

New Board Member

Please join us in welcoming Michael Banks to The Community Grocer’s board of directors 🎉

He is a Philly native & forward-thinking Executive with a proven track record of driving financial transformation and social impact. Over the past decade, he has successfully turned around organizations, secured over $35M in funding, and built powerful public-private partnerships that uplift communities and advance economic equity. Michael will continue building bridges between sectors and seeks to maximize The Community Grocer’s impact as our newest board member.

Support Our Work: We Cannot Do This Without You

From advocacy to meals, from construction to our workforce program and beyond—we need you.

Every dollar you contribute supports nutrition access, job training, community health resources, and a vision for a food-secure Philadelphia. We cannot do this work without the generosity of supporters like you.

Donate today and be part of building something extraordinary.

Donate Now

Meet Our Newest Supporters

We're thrilled to welcome these incredible organizations and individuals to the Community Grocer family. Your support is fueling our mission to bring healthy food and opportunity to Southwest Philadelphia and beyond!

NEO Philanthropy
The Claneil Foundation
M&T Bank & WSFS through the state NAP Tax Credit Program
Plenary Americas
The Sarah Ralston Foundation
AARP

Let’s build a vision together for a stronger, healthier tomorrow.

With grit and gratitude,

The Community Grocer Family

Alex, Angie, Eli, Issa, Joy, Samir, Sophie, & more coming soon!