Rhonda Vesey, known as “Aunt Rhonda,” created a successful grassroots campaign
The story of Rhonda Vesey, who stopped at nothing to bring a grocery store to a Syracuse, New York, food desert, proves that sometimes it takes community leadership to get what’s needed in their own neighborhoods, Syracuse.com reported.
Vesey, a former corporate finance professional and the daughter of a 1950s Civil Rights pioneer, took matters into her own hands to bring fresh food options back to the Valley neighborhood in need after Tops Friendly Markets shut down. In collaboration with Buffalo-based grocery entrepreneur A.K. Kaid, Vesey, known as “Aunt Rhonda,” successfully led a grassroots campaign to replace Tops with the Super Imperial Market, which offers fresh produce, meats, prepared hot foods, and other key grocery items…