The Suncoast Market Co-op has spent seven years striving to open a locally owned and locally sourced health food store in Imperial Beach, but there’s still a lot to do.
“This will be the first cooperative of its kind in the South Bay,” said Paloma Aguirre, Mayor of Imperial Beach.
The organizers have raised $1.8 million so far, but they need another $1.6 million to make the co-op a reality.
If the grocery store opens in the area, it will be one of the few health-food options in the community among the many fast-food options.
“Giving our community these options is important, especially in the context of what we have to live with on a day-to-day basis, which is a sewage emergency,” Aguirre said. “Our water is polluted, our air is polluted. We need locally obtained food to stay healthy.”
In fact, Aguirre made the announcement on the same day A boil water order was issued for his city.,
Health organizations constantly stress the importance of healthy eating for a person’s overall health.
“Eating healthy is so important to our heart health,” said Jessica Neumaier, executive director of the American Heart Association. “It’s extremely important that we eat healthy and stay active. There are many components that make up our overall health and well-being, and healthy eating is certainly one of the most important things we can do to strengthen our heart health.” Can do for.”
The co-operative is supported by those in the community who want to see the grocery store open.
“We don’t have a lot of grocery store options here in the area,” Michelle Gonzalez said. “It’s basically a grocery outlet or a Vons, and grocery outlets are kind of what they have in stock at the moment, so I definitely think we need more healthy food options.”
Organizers say the Suncoast Market Co-op, which is targeted for a summer 2024 opening date, could add up to $6.5 million to the local economy.
Suncoast has one