\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWith a stroke of the veto pen, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis eliminated funding to purchase food and a truck for a soon-to-be micro-grocery store in the heart of Parramore. Spearheaded by Jennifer Hilaire of The Desire Foundation, Parramore Market is expected to open in August to serve a community that has long been considered to be a food desert. “If you live here and you call this place home and you have a house to sleep in, where do you get your food?” she said. The idea behind Parramore Market is a simple one: that clients living with food insecurity should be able to shop for what they or their families need in dignity. It’s less like a food pantry and more like a fully functioning grocery store, complete with shopping carts, cereal dispensers and a sleek look. Hilaire said the work to bring Parramore Market to fruition began last year. “They rely a lot on corner stores and gas stations to get food they need, and that’s really no access to healthy food either,” she said. “We’re here to stay, we want to help them, we want to help the problem.” Parramore residents will be able to shop for free while non-residents will be able to purchase food at cost. The opening in August should have been buoyed by $170,000 in state funding, Hilaire said. The money, had it been appropriated, would go toward purchasing food as well as a truck to pick up food gathered from around the Orlando area. “The money was supposed to be used for food, $100,000 for food, and the remainder would be utilized for a truck,” Hilaire said. “One day, someone’s going to show up in our parking lot with a truck, so I’m just going to wait on that day and I’m going to trust that God’s going to make that happen. In the meantime, our biggest action and call to action is helping us get food on the shelves so that we can open.” She said she’s not letting the governor’s veto slow down the opening and that the community is owed fresh food and a dignified grocery store. So far, The Desire Foundation has raised $15,000 of a $50,000 goal set for the grand opening. “Being embedded in the community, being able to speak to the community members, ensuring they know that this is happening, ensuring they know they have a say-so and they’re a part of the project, it makes it all worth it,” Hilaire said.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
With a stroke of the veto pen, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis eliminated funding to purchase food and a truck for a soon-to-be micro-grocery store in the heart of Parramore. <\/p>\n