A retired registered nurse in Detroit gave back to her community by making fresh foods available through a new grocery store she opened on Saturday, Click On Detroit reported.
Sonya Greene worked hard for almost a year and a half to make her dream a reality. She bought a 1,800-square-foot building, formerly a liquor store, to build the Linwood Fresh Market.
The Linwood Fresh Market, located at 11311 Linwood St., provides community members with fresh fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, ice cream, popcorn and more.
“It’s been a long time coming, and all their support over the last 15 months and saying ‘keep going’ meant the world to me,” Greene said.
Greene’s market addresses the abiding systemic racism many low-income neighborhoods face — specifically, the lack of access to healthy foods in minority neighborhoods that are seasoned with many fast food restaurants.
“I think it’s a vital part that we have fresh food right here in the…community, in the neighborhood,” a market visitor said.
“A lot of the neighborhoods long ago used to have grocery stores,” a woman said. “To bring that back and give everyone access to it is important.”
According to Linwood Fresh Market’s website, Greene put about $175,000 to $200,000 from her 401 (k) savings towards the business. She was adamant about helping community members dive into more healthy eating habits.
“Being a registered nurse for 27 years, I’ve always seen how poor eating and bad food choices have really hurt a lot of people,” Greene said. “We have a lot of people who want to eat better but just don’t know the types of food that would do their body good.”
The retired nurse isn’t just providing the community with a market; she’s turning the block in the district into a business opportunity called The Shift.
Along with the market, The Shift will include a barbershop, hair salon and apartments.
