Fresh fruits and veggies could soon be rolling deeper into St. Petersburg’s grocery deserts. The city has opened applications for its new PeliCAN (Community Access to Nutrition) grant program, which helps residents launch mobile fresh-food markets in neighborhoods with limited access to healthy, affordable groceries. Selected applicants will receive starting capital, a stipend, technical training and mentorship to build a “Fresh Start” mobile market that can accept SNAP and bring produce into USDA-identified priority areas. The program is open to St. Petersburg residents and runs through May 31, 2026.
What PeliCAN Provides
City officials say PeliCAN will provide starting capital, a stipend, technical training and mentorship to selected community members to build a mobile healthy-food retail operation, a model they are calling the “Fresh Start” mobile market, according to St. Petersburg’s post on X. The city notes that the grant application includes a brief, anonymous community survey that collects no personal information, aimed at better understanding neighborhood needs. Healthy St. Pete, the Parks & Recreation division that…..