Healthy Grocery Initiative
Healthy Grocery Initiative (HGI) operates at the intersection of business support services and food access.
Fresh Creds
Our discount program, Fresh Creds, allows us to impact affordability at participating stores. CalFresh-enrolled customers receive an immediate 50% discount on California-grown fruits and vegetables.
We offer discounts and associated marketing materials to small and medium-sized independent grocers and cooperatives.
Our team works to uplift independent stores as viable, affordable, and health-promoting food access points and community hubs. HGI offers digital marketing, tailored in-store support, and advocates for small business interest.
ADA Forum
Due to excessive accessibility lawsuits against retailers in the state of California, Mandela Partners has teamed up with Guardian ADA to share knowledge and awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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avoid being sued
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gain strategies and solutions to meet compliance
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create space that is accessible to everyone in the community
Where to Shop
Check out our map of store partners!
Fresh Tip
Try spending 10% of your monthly food budget at an independent store. Make your shopping list and buy what you can from your neighborhood market before going to a supermarket.
Shifting the Narrative
Shifting the Food Desert Narrative in East Oakland by Healthy Grocery Initiative Manager, Amani Ali, debunks East Oakland's food desert myth.
According to this report released by the National Grocers Association (NGA) – 61% of SNAP program participants cite the “cost of healthy food” as a barrier to access. This is just one of many barriers SNAP participants face when shopping for healthy foods. The report goes on to say that independent community grocery stores play a critical role in supplementing and supporting the accessibility of SNAP benefits for program participants.
These community grocery stores provide access by offering the right program in the right place — “reaching communities that big-box stores do not find profitable.”