North Fair Oaks markets get a fresh food 'makeover'

Daily News Staff Report

Posted: 07/20/2012 09:16:16 PM PDT

Updated: 07/20/2012 09:17:10 PM PDT

People listen to a speech during the unveiling of the Michoacan.

The Michoacan Produce Market and two other North Fair Oaks corner stores got a healthy food makeover, thanks to a grant from Kaiser Permanente.

On Friday, residents toured the three stores with their healthy improvements and celebrated the kickoff of Healthy Neighborhood Stores Network, which will help store owners be able to buy nutritious merchandise at a better price in quantity.

Read the full article here: North Fair Oaks markets get a fresh food 'makeover'

Las Tienditas Saludables in the Daily Journal

Shopping for a makeover

July 21, 2012, 05:00 AM By Sally Schilling Daily Journal Correspondent


	Sally Shilling/Daily Journal Luis Ortiz shows off a produce display in La Guadalupana market in North Fair Oaks in Redwood City.

As a kid, Luis Ortiz was bombarded with bright alcohol and tobacco ads posted around his North Fair Oaks neighborhood.

“My mom would ask me to go to the corner store for tomatoes but our store only had alcohol and tobacco,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz, now a youth advocate for the Youth Leadership Institute, had to walk 30 minutes to get produce for his mother.

The Youth Leadership Institute surveyed 100 low-income residents in North Fair Oaks. They found that most want produce, but wish that more was available. The lack of healthy options in neighborhood corner stores inspired community activists to transform them.

On Friday, the Youth Leadership Institute celebrated their reinventing of Michoacan Market on Middlefield Road, the third store to receive a “healthy makeover.” The main goals of the store makeovers are to promote produce and lessen the sales of alcohol and tobacco.

Read the full article here: Shopping For A Makeover