By Gianna Njau
PEORIA, Ill. – (25 News) – A weekly stop for families in need of affordable groceries is growing into something bigger.
Peoria’s Market 309 has become essential for putting food on the table for dozens of families on the city’s south side.
Between 80 and 90 families depend on Market 309 for low-cost staples like produce, milk, eggs, and juice.
For roughly six years, PeoriaGrown has been helping families put fresh foods on the table. They line up each Sunday inside Trewyn Park for access to those groceries.
Expansion plans
The non-profit is preparing to expand their efforts into a full grocery store downstairs in Trewyn Park’s building. The state is providing about $200,000 for the project.
“We knew that we wanted to remain in the south end because that has been our mission since day one,” Julie Eliathamby, Founder and Executive Director, PeoriaGrown, tells 25 News.
Eliathamby says a food crisis has developed in recent years, increasing the urgency to reach more people.
“The issue with food insecurity has actually grown in the last couple of years since PeoriaGrown started,” she says.
“There is a growing concern, especially from our end, about the health risks that have been shown in data from that neighborhood,” Eliathamby says.
Renovation details
State funding will go strictly toward renovations, including replacing refrigerators and making the space accessible.
“It’s easier for people in wheelchairs and with disabilities, which is another major demographic that comes and shops with us,” Eliathamby says.
The store will offer produce for $1 to $3 a piece, available multiple times a week.
“We have quite a wide range; we carry about 12 to 13 different types of vegetables during the summertime, and we carry about 16 to 17 different types of fresh vegetables and fruits,” Eliathamby says.
The non-profit does not have an official opening date, but hopes to start renovations this summer. They are still waiting for state funding.
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