Should You Shop at the LEAP Community Store? (Spoiler: Yes!)

It’s hard to explain LEAP’s work in an elevator pitch, so we started doing lots and lots of tours to show people what LEAP does and let them see it in action. The one-on-one and group tours have helped people truly understand LEAP and these conversations have also helped LEAP answer people’s questions about our work, our farmers, and the why and what of our programs. We are shocked at the number one question we get: 

"Do you want me to shop at the Community Store?”

The short answer is: Yes! A thousand times, yes.

Concerns about Shopping at the Community Store

You might already know LEAP for our food access programs that support neighbors using SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid. Because we are well-known for these programs, people think if they don’t have SNAP, WIC, or Medicaid that they shouldn’t shop at the Community Store, the Mobile Market, or our two Farmers Markets. People think that buying a loaf of bread or a bunch of carrots means that less food is available for someone else. But the reality is exactly the opposite. When you shop with LEAP, you aren't taking food away—you are allowing us to provide even more food for our community.

Every single dollar you spend at the LEAP Community Store does two incredible things at once:

• It funds food access: Your purchases directly fund our programs, keeping healthy, fresh produce affordable for neighbors utilizing SNAP, Medicaid, or WIC.
• It supports local farmers: Your food purchases create a steady, reliable market for the people who grow and raise our food.

How the LEAP Model Works

You might wonder how a community-focused store stays stocked. It’s actually pretty simple: we operate similar to a traditional grocery store. We buy food directly, apply a markup, and sell it. The difference is that we buy food directly from local farmers and pay them a fair price for their product.

Because we run on this retail model, we don’t have to rely on a fixed, limited pool of fundraising dollars to stock our shelves. This is great news for you as a customer. When you buy a bag of peaches, you aren't draining a limited supply. Instead, your purchase directly funds the next order, allowing us to restock and buy even more food from farmers and helps LEAP fund our food access programs.

A Win for Local Farmers 

Growing our store sales also means we can buy more food from farmers who want to sell to LEAP wholesale. Wholesale sales are a game-changer for local growers. It lets them focus on what they do best—spending time in their fields producing great food—while skipping the time-consuming tasks of marketing, distribution, and customer sales systems and communications.

By shopping with us, you help provide local farmers with a reliable, hassle-free market for their hard work.

What about the LEAP Farmers Markets?

We know so many of you already love and support the West End and Grandin Village Farmers Markets, and you should absolutely keep doing that! Farmers markets give you a wonderful, direct connection to your local growers. The Community Store isn't a replacement for the markets; it’s another option to make local food more accessible. If you can’t make it out on Tuesday or Saturday, or you just run out of tomatoes mid-week, we’re here to fill the gap with the best food grown right in our area.

Why it’s called the LEAP Community Store:

When you shop here, the money you spend on food is an investment in your food community. You give us the buying power to purchase even more from local farmers—boosting their income—while ensuring everyone in our community has access to good food.

So come on in, grab a basket, and let's eat well together. See you soon!

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