Limited access to healthy food affects both urban and rural communities. In Colorado’s smaller communities, where there is often only a single store, the pangs of a grocery closure can be particularly acute – impacting the community’s identity, resiliency, and economic prosperity.

Unhealthy food environments contribute to poor population health outcomes including obesity and chronic disease. Increasing healthy food choices in existing neighborhood stores can exponentially increase the availability, affordability and intake of fresh food, along with supporting health education efforts, increasing community cohesion, and sustaining the economic viability of neighborhoods.