ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Parramore Market, spearheaded by 30-year-old Jeniffer Hilaire, aims to bring groceries closer to neighbors facing food insecurity.<\/p>\n
The mini grocery store at 536 N. Westmoreland Drive is set to open in August after The Desire Foundation\u2019s local nonprofit weekly food drives have grown to serve hundreds.<\/p>\n
You might have seen Jennifer\u2019s face on a building along West Church Street in Parramore. Now, the founder of The Desire Foundation is working to tackle food insecurity with a new mini grocery store called Parramore Market.<\/p>\n
Hilaire says while many people associate Parramore with homelessness, a wide range of residents call the neighborhood home and many don\u2019t have easy access to a grocery store.<\/p>\n
Parramore Market is set to open in August. Hilaire obtained ownership after The Desire Foundation partnered with Interstruct Design + Build in 2025. The groups have been hosting food drives every Friday, and Hilaire says the need has surged.<\/p>\n
She says the weekly effort grew from serving about 50 to 60 people to about 400 people every Friday, with roughly 30,000 pounds of food gone each time.<\/p>\n
Hilaire says those interactions made it clear the community needed more than pop-up support and wanted something permanent nearby.<\/p>\n
The market is expected to offer many of the same essentials people find at a traditional grocery store, including dairy, dry goods, household products, fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs, but in a smaller space.<\/p>\n
This year, the project got a boost from a $100,000 grant from OBT Next, a community redevelopment agency in Orange County. The money is intended to help renovate and beautify the building and ensure it meets code before opening to the public.<\/p>\n
Hilaire started her nonprofit during the COVID-19 pandemic and says the work has always been about meeting needs in real time, not just reaching big numbers.<\/p>\n
She says she has been involved in the Parramore community since she was 17, learning people\u2019s stories and needs so she could advocate for them and explain why a market like this matters.<\/p>\n
Hilaire says her motivation comes from hustle, determination and faith, and she is now asking the community to help donate $50,000 to stock the shelves in time for the store opening this summer. So far, she says she has raised $15,000 toward that goal.<\/p>\n