One Community Grocery Co-op is planting seeds for a brick-and-mortar store in South St. Pete.
South St. Petersburg has long faced stark disparities in health and economic opportunity, with many residents struggling to access fresh, affordable food. One Community Grocery Co-op (OCGC) was born out of this urgent need, not only to address food insecurity but to empower the community through collective ownership and decision-making.
“What inspired the creation of One Community Grocery Co-op was the great need for food security and, more so, food sovereignty in South St. Petersburg,” explains Erica Hardison, chair of OCGC. “South St. Pete is a focal point of need. This area exhibits stark inequities, including up to a 16-year difference in life expectancy compared to nearby neighborhoods. It was the ideal place to launch a locally rooted, equitable solution.”
A local solution to food insecurity in St. Pete
Hardison emphasizes the co-op model as a powerful tool for community empowerment: “Rather than rely on corporate retailers, the co-op model was chosen to ensure residents had ownership and decision-making power ‘one member, one vote,’ not ‘one dollar, one vote.’” She notes that conventional grocery stores had largely disinvested in South St. Pete, leaving a void that the co-op aims to fill through community-driven collaboration…