A Bright Start
Sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Western Addition Community Market. The space is modern and welcoming, with the cheerful energy of a neighborhood bodega — energy matched by Holly. We met her as she moved excitedly through the aisles of produce and groceries, planning out what she would take home.
“Some greens, applesauce, potatoes, carrots, eggs. Oh my god — peaches, nectarines, grapes,” she exclaims. “It is really a blessing to come here.”
A New Way to Shop
For six years, Holly has relied on Neighborhood Food Pantries for fresh produce each week, helping her avoid hard choices between paying bills or going hungry. When the Western Addition Community Market opened in July, it offered her a new way to shop. Now, Holly decides exactly what she takes home, how much, and when she picks it up.
“It’s like shopping through Safeway,” she says, calling it “top-of-the-line food.”
Community Markets are open multiple days each week with flexible hours, making it easier for people to shop when it works for them.
That flexibility matters to Holly, who is currently out of work and managing the ups and downs of her mental health.
“You go in and everything is organized,” she says. “I’ve been to a lot of pantries, but this pantry here is the best. You walk through here and you pick what you want. You don’t just have to take it.”
Simple Joys, Real Respect
At the Western Addition Community Market, Holly savors the small, human moments of grocery shopping that many take for granted: tapping on watermelons and smelling ripe produce.
“It makes me feel good,” she says. “You smell it and you know it’s fresh. It makes me feel good to be able to touch what I get.”
For Holly, those simple acts restore dignity and a sense of normalcy for her in a period marked by unemployment and financial strain. The market helps ease her fears of hunger, giving her confidence that she can put meals on the table. Just as importantly, she values the respect she feels every time she comes to shop.
“Even though I’m at my lowest right now, I feel like I have something,” Holly says. “They’re treating me with respect. Even though I’m not working, I feel respected. It’s dignity.”
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