Viral Facebook post, new parking lot help bring in more customers, but Matthew 25 looking for ways to keep people coming to Cultivate Hope Corner Store year-round
CEDAR RAPIDS — A nonprofit grocery store in Cedar Rapids is continuing to look for ways to bring in more customers from around the city, in order to keep providing healthy food options to a neighborhood that otherwise wouldn’t have any.
Background
Matthew 25, a Cedar Rapids nonprofit, opened the Cultivate Hope corner store at 604 Ellis Blvd. NW in 2022. The goal was to create a source of healthy food in the Time Check neighborhood, which previously was classified as a “food desert,” or a neighborhood where food is not easily accessible within walking distance — a problem exacerbated by the fact many people living in the area don’t have reliable transportation.
The store has become an important staple in the neighborhood in the last few years. Beyond being the main place where most neighbors buy their groceries, it also is a social hub where adults and kids can gather. The store includes a small space with open tables and chairs — called the Hadley Hangout — where people can sit to eat the ready-made lunches available at the store, or simply to socialize with their neighbors…