New grocery store marks the end of a decades-long food desert in Northwest Roanoke.
The community of Northwest Roanoke has a neighborhood grocery store again. After more than 40 years without access to a full-service grocer, Market on Melrose is offering a solution to the long-standing food desert in this area of the city. Operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Market on Melrose is one of the first Goodwill-operated grocery stores in the country. First-time customers were delighted to explore the 15,000-square-foot store, perusing the aisles of freshly stocked, affordable produce, meats, dairy products, and pantry staples. Local leaders and changemakers, including Goodwill Industries of the Valleys President and CEO Richmond Vincent and Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea, came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening alongside the Market on Melrose team to welcome shoppers. Citizens of Northwest Roanoke were honored for their advocacy and civic partnerships that helped to make the vision of the grocery store and future community hub a reality. “This is a bright day for our city and a celebration of our future as we are another step closer to putting food insecurity and poverty in our past,” said Richmond Vincent, president & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “Through the Market on Melrose, we are continuing our mission of empowering individuals and strengthening families who now have convenient, walkable access to affordable nutrition without having to leave their neighborhood.” Roanoke College professor Elizabeth Ackley, Ph.D., who spearheaded the Northwest Roanoke Food Access Initiative, was also present to commemorate the store’s first day of operation. Ackley was honored with a key to the Market on Melrose, a symbol of the gratitude felt by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and the city of Roanoke in bringing this project to life. “For more than 30 years, you have wanted to figure out a way to change the world. We are all here today to tell you that you have, and you did,” said Vincent of Ackley’s efforts.