{"id":40936,"date":"2025-11-10T15:24:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T15:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/40936\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T15:24:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T15:24:09","slug":"one-community-grocery-co-op-is-here-to-stay-in-south-st-pete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/40936\/","title":{"rendered":"One Community Grocery Co-op is here to stay in South St. Pete"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With the recent closing of Save-A-Lot in St. Pete diminishing fresh grocery options for a large swath of South St. Pete, a local group is working to create a permanent and affordable option for the community. One Community Grocery Co-op is spearheading a project to create a community-owned grocery store that is driven by community needs instead of investor profits.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunrise represents new life and new opportunity,\u201d said Erica Hardison, founder of One Community Grocery Co-op (OCGC)<\/a>. \u201cThe Save-A-Lot closing represents the sunset and an ending for the community. We chose sunrise to show that OCGC is coming to bring light, to be that new voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The press conference, held at sunrise near the former grocery store site, marked a turning point for South St. Pete residents who have long faced challenges accessing fresh, affordable food. The closure of the neighborhood\u2019s Save-A-Lot left nearby residents, especially those without transportation, without a reliable grocery option.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can go a mile without a grocery store,\u201d Hardison said. \u201cThe store wasn\u2019t perfect, but it was something. When it closed, the community was shocked. It really reiterated the need to have a community-owned grocery store that wasn\u2019t going to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Drum Circle during OCGC event| Photo via Erica Hardison<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are open to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hardison and OCGC are part of a growing movement toward cooperative grocery model stores owned and operated by the people who shop there. These co-ops have found lasting success in communities across the country because they build local investment and accountability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason co-ops work is because members are invested,\u201d she said. \u201cAs the process goes on, people are joining. We have volunteers, partnerships, and real engagement. That\u2019s why this model stays successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her message to the city and the community during the sunrise gathering was clear: \u201cWe\u2019re HERE,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are open for partnership and open to stay. It\u2019s a process we\u2019re here for the community and for the long haul. We are not going anywhere. We are right here in their backyard. We are the sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n

National recognition for OCGC<\/p>\n

OCGC recently received the W.E.B. Du Bois Award for Cooperative Education, a national recognition of co-ops that create learning spaces and share knowledge within marginalized communities<\/p>\n

\u201cThis award recognizes co-ops that are creating learning spaces and knowledge in marginalized communities,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are in stage one, which is organizing. It\u2019s owned by the people who shop at them. Through our produce pop-ups, makers\u2019 and growers\u2019 markets, we\u2019re constantly hosting events teaching not about beating people, but educating them. We are so excited about the award. It goes out to everyone in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"One\"OneOne Community Grocery Co-op supports local growers who are ready to reclaim their food system from the ground up.<\/p>\n

Building toward a brick-and-mortar<\/p>\n

The national recognition has energized OCGC\u2019s next steps. Over the next three to five months, the co-op will launch a member ownership drive during National Co-op Month.<\/p>\n

The goal is to surpass their 300 members, allowing OCGC to move out of the organizing stage and into feasibility. \u201cIn 3\u20135 years, we want 3,000 plus members and a stable place for the community, not only to buy food, but to serve as an economic-centered hub for wellness and belonging,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want the grocery store to be brick-and-mortar and want the momentum to continue to see ideas come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hardison points to other successful co-ops around the country, including Florida\u2019s own Ever\u2019man Cooperative Grocery in Pensacola, as examples of what\u2019s possible. \u201cWe all deserve to live, work, play, and thrive,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have examples of that in other states, and we hope to do the same here, specifically for South St. Pete.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFood is a right. You shouldn\u2019t have to drive or take bus treks to get food,\u201d Hardison said.<\/p>\n

To learn more, become a member, or sign up for the newsletter, visit ocgc.coop<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the recent closing of Save-A-Lot in St. Pete diminishing fresh grocery options for a large swath of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40937,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-40936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}