Re-Envisioning the Corner Store

Photo Credit: Dawn Majors from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For decades corner stores served as the cornerstones of community life in American cities. They sold needed goods to local residents, served as important social hubs, and added an element of vibrancy to local streetscapes.

In the last several decades, the corner store has become something different altogether. In many urban neighborhoods, suburban towns, and rural main streets, corner stores now corner the market of junk foods, lottery tickets, booze, and cigarettes. Where corner stores used to provide local residents with access to important life necessities, they now only provide for our vices.

A New Vision
Two intrepid St. Louisans have taken to re-envisioning the corner store as a community asset, instead of a detriment to public health and safety. Shawn Mckie and Angie Beatty launched The Juice Box corner store, selling healthy foods and hosting community events. Shawn and Angie wanted to not only get back to the roots of the corner store as a community hub, but also address a pressing community need -- providing much needed access to healthy foods. The Juice Box is located in St. Louis City at 3003 Arsenal Street, in a community where junk food options significantly outnumber healthy options, which is the situation in most American communities. With adult and childhood obesity rates at an all time high, The Juice Box is an important and innovative step towards the creation of Healthy, Active & Vibrant Communities.

Shawn and Angie were recently selected as Echoing Green Fellows for their social entrepreneurial work with the Juice Box.

To learn more about the award-winning Juice Box and it's founders, Shawn and Angie, check out this great article:
http://tinyurl.com/juiceboxcornerstore