• Home
• For Investors
• Obtain Financing
• Planning and Policy Analysis
• PolicyMap

• In the News
• Press Releases

In the News:
Fresh Food Financing Initiative

The White House came to Philadelphia on July 23 to spotlight the PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Jeremy Nowak was a participant in the Urban Summit the White House held just ten days earlier at which President Obama announced a national tour to learn about the ‘bottom up’ innovations working in cities across the country. We were delighted to host and support the White House on the first leg of this tour. The Obama Administration visited the successful FFFI-financed Brown’s Shop-Rite in West Philadelphia and led a packed town hall meeting. Moderated by Adolfo Carrion, Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, the senior Administration officials participating included Secretary Gary Locke of Commerce, Secretary Tom Vilsack of Agriculture and Deputy Secretary Ron Sims of HUD. Representative Dwight Evans, who has championed the program, TRF’s Jeremy Nowak, Yael Lehmann of the Food Trust, Jeff Brown of Brown’s Family Shop-Rites, and Lucinda Hudson, a local community leader, spoke about the program and its impact. Mayor Nutter welcomed all to Philadelphia and offered opening remarks. This animated conversation was a standing-room-only event, made even tastier by the foods that farmers’ markets, Shop-Rite-supported entrepreneurs, and Brown’s Family Shop-Rite shared. TRF has approved funding for 68 stores across PA with loans and grants from the PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative. In addition to considerable national interest in the program, recent investments from NJ EDA, Living Cities, Prudential and a preliminary commitment from Casino Redevelopment Investment Authority provide TRF with early capital to start a New Jersey Food Access Initiative.

Highlights of tv, radio and other media covering the event are listed here: