Reno’s Little Food Co-op Makes a Big Impact

The Great Basin Community Food Co-op combats local hunger with their Round Up for Food Justice program.

Behind the large, red doors of the Great Basin Community Food Co-op lies an inviting atmosphere, enriched with local produce and welcoming staff members. From organically grown fruits and vegetables, to homemade meals, this community owned grocery store is supplying a new standard of nutrition to locals. With their abundance of nutritional options, their main focus is to create a healthier community.

With Reno’s growing population, the lower class in the area is also expanding. This leaves many families without food year-round. The Co-op is combating against hunger with their Round Up for Food Justice Program, which feeds the mouths of locals in need.

“That’s the thing with the Co-op, people start to realize how important putting money back into the community is. They realize they’re making a difference,” said employee, Isabella Jacobs.

The Round Up program’s focus is not just centered around low income families. They strive to deconstruct the vicious cycle of mental health illnesses sweeping the community.

“I’m a huge believer in mental health as it relates to nutrition,” said Amber Sallaberry, co-founder of the Co-op.

Sallaberry is the leader of the Round Up program. She centers her sights on the growing problem of mental health and chronic disease within the area. Through a well-balanced diet and focus on major nutritional components, Sallaberry is confident that this problem can be lessened.

“I just really believe that if we start to change our fundamentals in the dietary sphere, then we’ll start to have a new social paradigm,” said Sallaberry.

Mental illness, according to Sallaberry, has been worsened by our “disenfranchised nation.” From an unbalanced food system, our society lives off of food lacking nutritional value. Ultimately, leading to the sick becoming even sicker.

“Look at the world around us. People feel hopeless and lethargic. Their bodies hurt and they simply lack motivation,” said Sallaberry.

Sallaberry’s program strives to improve the intake of nutritional options for those struggling with these issues. According to Sperling’s Best Places, Reno has an unemployment rate of 7.10%, compared to the national average of 6.3%. Our community is struggling, and Sallaberry and her team are making big improvements for Reno behind the walls of their small store.

“You can imagine the difference between eating food that never had any life or vitality to it, then exposing yourself to something wholesome and nourishing. Well it just blows their [the participants] minds,” said producer manager, Zach Cannady.

The Round Up program is run through Northern Nevada HOPES. They are a local, nonprofit community health center. Focused on those with chronic diseases and mental illnesses, they provide their patients with access to an array of services. HOPES’ efforts are for those in need of help, with little to no means of acquiring it on their own.

According to Clint Demeritt, content developer at Northern Nevada HOPES, they facilitate who qualifies for the program. They then provide the Round Up program with their participants. The Co-op’s role is to then provide the donations, and of course, the nutrition.

“HOPES is a very special place in town,” said Sallaberry, with a smile.

To donate to this program, the Co-op’s customers are asked at each transaction if they would like to round their total up to the nearest dollar. With an average of $600 a month, the Round Up program is supplying food for close to 80 locals in need.

Each week, participants are given a $20 voucher to use within the store. With this card, participants can only use it on produce purchases. This rule within the program is not seen as a restriction. It’s one of the key benefits.

“One of the biggest things we’ve identified over the years is that the critical point of food access and food justice is really around fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Sallaberry.

Not only does this program allow individuals to purchase their choice of produce, but a new piece of the program is soon to be underway. In the near future, participants will get the chance to learn how to buy and cook their own wholesome meals. By using hot places, rice cookers, and toaster ovens — all appliances that can be used without large cooking spaces — they will be taught how to feed themselves well balanced meals.

This is a 6 week nutrition course that will have hands on cooking demonstrations. They will also be told the micronutrients of each meal, as well as the price. Through this, those with limited resources will have the knowledge of how to nourish themselves on a strict budget. Eventually they will get the chance to “thrive alongside the rest of society,” according to Sallaberry.

“It’s about spreading knowledge and food awareness,” said Jacobs.

The main goal of this program is to teach those in need that nutritious options and a better quality of life are not out of reach. Due to low incomes and limited resources, fast food and processed products are often the first choice for struggling individuals. With this program, well-balanced options are placed at the hands of those who need it most.

“I think if we change our food system, we change the world,” said Sallaberry.