AKRON, Ohio — The US Division of Agriculture’s Wholesome Meals Financing Initiative (HFFI) was awarded the Paing Household Asian Grocery retailer with grant funding, which shall be used to extend entry to wholesome meals within the retailer’s south Akron neighborhood.
Siri Ache stated she and her household are refugees from Myanmar. She stated they got here to America in 2013 and took over what’s now known as the Painful Household Asian Grocery in 2019.
The shop has bought Asian items and groceries for greater than 30 years. Ache defined the constructing itself hasn’t had any upgrades throughout that point.
“The roof could be very previous; it has been right here a very long time—over 30 years right here,” Ache stated. “On this constructing, we solely have one air conditioner, so we want extra. We have to replace the cooler and freezer, to get extra meals and get extra greens for the purchasers.”
Proper now, Ache stated the shop is barely capable of obtain shipments of recent produce as soon as per week as a result of their lack of freezer and cooler area.
It is a drawback for the folks in her group as a result of the Ache Household Asian Grocery is the one walkable place within the neighborhood that sells recent, inexpensive meals.
“Round right here, (this) is the one place they will get some kind of vegetable, the place they will stroll and get it right here,” she stated. “Generally, the purchasers come on like Monday, they usually ask for issues and say, ‘Do you have got this?’ and I’ve to inform them we do not have anymore—it is bought out.”
Because of the award cash from the Wholesome Meals Financing Initiative, Ache will have the ability to make these crucial updates to her retailer.
“It’s actually exhausting to get these with out the grant,” she admitted.
She stated this cash will make it simpler for her to offer a spot for her group to have entry to wholesome meals.
