The communities inside of the 29223, 29204 and 29203 (Benedict/Allen/UofSC, Two Notch Rd, Parklane, Millwood Ave, Farrow Rd, Greenview/ New Castle) zip codes are suffering from lack of fresh food access.  The reality of the situation is that there are multiple food deserts inside of Richland County and the City of Columbia. The lack of accessibility in this community primarily affects people who are Black and Brown, elderly, low income, and students but, there is a solution. We are asking the City of Columbia and Richland County to propose the development of two to three reliable grocers/marketplaces in the area to compensate for the limited  access to food options in the city limits. The presence of quality grocers in these neighborhoods will allow for proper access for families, employment opportunities, and contribute to improving the health in these communities.

Columbia is taking pride in city development and economic growth while leaving these communities behind. Placing easily accessible grocers and marketplaces in Columbia Place Mall, Millwood Avenue, and Beltline/ Two Notch Rd will create a safer, healthier, and more equitable Columbia. These new access points will not compromise land, but will reuse spaces that have already been developed and are familiar to the community. Redeveloping the mall and ghosted storefronts will bring life back to the communities that are losing it to the growth, and increasing gentrification, in Columbia. Families, school-aged children, Benedict/Allen/UofSC students, and the elderly should not have to go a day without access to affordable groceries, waste their money on transportation to access adequate grocers, or compromise their health with fast foods solely based on their zip code. We are urgently asking the City of Columbia City Council and Richland County Council to develop a proposal and reach out to reputable grocery chains to develop locations in the 29223, 29204, and 29203 communities to improve the livelihoods of residents in the capital city.

We are asking that City of Columbia and Richland County make some decisions to create partnerships with reputable grocery chains such as Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Aldi, Lidl, Kroger, Trader Joe's, etc. to create reliable access points for Black and Brown communities. We are petitioning for established, well-known marketplaces to be developed because of the lack of product, absence of freshness, and poor experiences of patrons that was provided by a former grocer on Harden Street. Our communities are deserving of a quality experience when shopping for themselves, their families, and others. We are urging that this basic experience, that many take for granted, be provided for our Columbia residents who have limited access to that opportunity. Please sign this petition to stand with the residents of Columbia who lack accessibility to a reputable and reliable grocer.

The photo attached to this petition is the food desert presence in Richland County per SC DHEC (2020).