Old Dominion News

RICHMOND, VA – After celebrating a successful one-year anniversary of the Partnership for Petersburg that encompasses six pillars, over 50 initiatives and coordinates with over 90 partners to transform the city and make a significant difference in the lives and livelihoods of Petersburg’s people, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Amazon and Goodr will launch a new, state-of-the-art Goodr Mobile Grocery Store in Petersburg. Furthering the success of the Partnership for Petersburg and addressing the longstanding food accessibility issue in Petersburg, this mobile grocery store will provide Petersburg residents with free, nutritious meals. 

“Amazon and Goodr’s announcement of launching a mobile grocery store in Petersburg is a transformative and cutting-edge solution to tackling food insecurity in not only Petersburg but the entire Commonwealth,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.  “We are grateful to Amazon and all the partners who are working hard to bring life changing nutrition and health options to the citizens of Petersburg and the Commonwealth.” 

“Goodr is so proud of the services and assistance our Goodr Mobile Grocery Store has been able to provide in food deserts all over Georgia since its unveiling earlier this year,” said Goodr Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston. “This new partnership with the Amazon team enables Goodr to offer those same relief services to the many food insecure areas across Virginia. We are both excited for this new expansion and grateful to Amazon for continuing to share our vision of ending our nation’s hunger crisis.”  

“At Amazon, we not only strive to be Earth’s best employer, but we also want to be a good neighbor. Amazon is grateful for the opportunity to partner with others who share our commitment to increasing food access, supporting economic mobility, and advancing health and wellness in the Petersburg area,” said Lindsay Berry Winter, Head of Amazon Virginia Public Policy. 

“Petersburg thanks Amazon and the other sponsors for their proactive steps in addressing the food desert issue in the city,” said Mayor Sam Parham. “The launch of the mobile food truck is significant to providing access to fresh and healthy foods in our neighborhoods. This initiative acts as an interim solution while the city continues its efforts to attract more grocery stores to Petersburg.” 

“Our community desperately needed proper groceries with ease of access. We have had a food desert in Petersburg for far too long and the people continue to suffer from lack of transportation,” said Delegate Kimberly Taylor. “I am excited that residents now have a healthy and accessible choice regarding their shopping needs. Health outcomes can only improve because of this initiative.” 

The Goodr Mobile Grocery Store is a shoppable 26-foot truck stocked with grocery items, including fresh produce, milk, eggs, and shelf-stable items – all for free. The truck aims to bring Goodr's signature free grocery shopping experience to even more food-insecure communities, particularly rural ones, across the state. Fully kitted with refrigerators, freezers, and shelving, families will enjoy an experience much like shopping for goods at a local grocery store. Beyond that, every aspect of the Mobile Grocery Store is about access – from the wheelchair ramp to the resource room for private health screenings or social services consultations. 

Amazon, Anthem, Bon Secours, and Comcast, provided the generous donations to stand-up the Goodr truck and allow the program to begin serving citizens. The largest contributor was Amazon who stepped in to cover additional need after their initial donation.  

About Amazon 

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, follow @AmazonNews. 

About Anthem HealthKeepers, Inc.  

HealthKeepers, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, offered by HealthKeepers, Inc., is a health plan that contracts with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services to provide Medicaid benefits to enrollees. 

About Bon Secours - Richmond

Bon Secours - Richmond is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours – Richmond provides compassionate medical care through a network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities. As one of Richmond’s largest employers, the not-for-profit health system employs more than 9,000 people, including nearly 420 providers as part of the Bon Secours Medical Group. Bon Secours – Richmond includes St. Mary’s Hospital, Memorial Regional Medical Center, Richmond Community Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, Rappahannock General Hospital, Southside Medical Center, Southern Virginia Medical Center, Westchester Emergency Center, Chester Emergency Center, Short Pump Emergency Center and Southside Emergency Care Center. Consistent with its commitment to serve each patient with dignity, BSMH provided more than $600 million dollars in community investments across five states in 2022, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to health care for our patients in need. In addition to charity care, BSMH invests in programs that address chronic illness, affordable housing, access to healthy food, education and wellness programs, transportation, workforce development and other social determinants of health that directly affect the communities we serve. The mission of Bon Secours is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information visit BonSecours.com.  

About Goodr  

Founded in 2017, Goodr is a sustainable waste management and hunger relief company that leverages technology and logistics to reduce food waste and fight hunger. Goodr, a certified B-Corp, is built on the principle that food insecurity is not an issue of scarcity; it's a matter of logistics. Goodr offers a variety of Hunger Relief and Food Waste Solutions, which include Surplus Food Recovery, Pop-Up Grocery Markets, and more. Headquartered in Atlanta, Goodr operates nationwide with clients in industries ranging from food service and hospitality to arenas, universities, celebrities and more. As of 2022, Goodr has served nearly 30 million meals to those in need and redirected 12 million pounds of food and organic material away from landfills. For more information on Goodr, visit www.goodr.co or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, @goodrco. 

Original source can be found here.