BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) — A grocery store opened on Binghamton's North Side Monday. For the last 25 years, the area was a designated food desert.
"The opening of Greater Good Grocery ends a 25-year void that left thousands of North Side residents struggling to access healthy, affordable food for their families," Binghamton Mayor Rich David said in a statement.
Greater Good Grocery store is run by the Broome County Council of Churches at 435 State Street. The store sells fresh produce, meats and dairy—products which were in effect impossible to find on the North Side—frozen foods and a variety of non-perishable goods. Although this meets a need for the area's residents, it is open for anyone to shop.
Funding for the store came from state and federal grants and donations from local foundations.
According to Feeding America, 24,620 people in Broome County are food insecure.