Free Bus Rides To FMM
Fresh Madison Market teams up with residents of the Allied Drive neighborhood to help them get access to healthy food choices
Fresh Madison Market is now offering free bus rides to the residents of the Allied Drive neighborhood on the south side of Madison to the downtown store location. The goal of these bus trips is to provide the residents fresh, healthy food alternative in a grocery store setting – something their neighborhood is lacking. And, because many residents do not have their own transportation, the bus rides are a welcome sight.
Cub Foods at 4716 Verona Road was the main grocery store the people in this neighborhood relied on for their grocery shopping. When the store closed in March 2009, the people turned to Walgreens, McDonald’s and other fast food alternatives for their nutritional needs. When a resident of the neighborhood came into Fresh Madison Market and told store owner, Jeff Maurer, that he wished the residents had better access to the store, Maurer knew he wanted to help the people get access to more healthy food choices.
His partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and the neighborhood association in the Allied Drive area also highlighted the poor nutritional options available to this group. After providing the “community meal” at the association meeting and watching the kids take and eat the fruit, Maurer realized then that their diets were lacking adequate dietary choices.
Wanting to offer a solution, he has partnered with RiteWay bus rentals and is now offering rides free of charge to the Allied Drive residents to the store in downtown Madison. Buses will run twice a week, Tuesday and Friday. Tuesday’s bus will leave the Allied Wellness Center and Friday’s bus will pickup residents at the Head Start office. Residents will have an hour at the store for their shopping needs before they are bussed back home. Their purchased groceries will then be delivered to their home by a Fresh Madison Market employee.
“I’m very hopeful that by offering the Allied Drive neighborhood a chance to get healthy, fresh products and make meals in their home, it will help them to be more aware of their food choices.” Maurer said. “Every family deserves access to good, fresh food at reasonable prices.”
For more information on Fresh Madison Market, please contact Jeff Maurer
directly or visit the store’s website, www.freshmadisonmarket.com. You can also
follow Fresh Madison Market on Facebook and Twitter.
