Forge City Works is dedicated to creating sustainable social enterprises and providing job training and food access to help individuals transform their lives. One of our long-standing initiatives has been sponsoring and hosting the Farmer’s Market on Broad Street. Now, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Connecticut Foodshare to establish a neighborhood grocery store that will cater to the needs of the Frog Hollow community.

Our aim is to provide access to quality, fresh, and wholesome food and groceries to overcome the challenges of food insecurity and limited food access in the community. However, our store is for everyone, not just those in need. We plan to offer various programs, such as SNAP Doubling and a sliding scale pricing model, to destigmatize the process of seeking assistance and access to food.

In addition to fresh produce, meats, dairy, and staple groceries, we will be offering our own fresh, ready-to-eat meals, breads, granola, sauces, dressings, and other items produced by our culinary job training trainees. Our store will also provide job-readiness training and first-job experiences to individuals interested in retail, with a special emphasis on disengaged and at-risk youth.

The project has secured significant funding from a federal grant of $250,000, secured by U.S. Congressman John Larson for Connecticut Foodshare. This funding will enable us to launch our innovative model and potentially replicate it in other cities and neighborhoods.

If you are interested in joining our community advisory team, please reach out to Ben Dubow at (860) 548-9877 or ben@forgecityworks.org.