Linden Fresh Market Opens to Reduce Food Insecurity & Improve Residents’ Health

Linden Fresh Market intends to reduce food insecurity and improve residents' health; it offers free food, medications, and other services for those living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. CD4AP, the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, and Nationwide Children's hospital run the location. The market portion is similar to CD4AP's All People's Fresh Market that has been successful on Columbus' South Side, serving over 40,000 since 2018. Nationwide paid for much of the project and committed to covering 50% of the market's projected annual operating costs for 5 years (Harvilla 2021). Linden Fresh Market is also striving to provide employment opportunities for Linden; CD4AP hired a full-time market manager who grew up in Linden and is seeking help from neighborhood leaders to recruit more resident applicants.

The market is an addition to other recent investments in Linden, including a new library, community center, fire station; street enhancements; and various affordable housing projects from Homeport, Habitat for Humanity, CMHA, and Healthy Homes. This project is also one of many to come from The 614 for Linden initiative, a collaborative of community development financial institutions and nonprofits seeking to implement 4 big ideas identified in the City of Columbus' One Linden Plan (2018). The 614 for Linden committed $25,000 for staff to manage the development of the Linden Fresh Market.