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# Neighbors and Leaders Gather in Newark to Launch Five Ward-Based Grocery Stores
- URL: https://www.inthewake.tv/neighbors-and-leaders-gather-in-newark-to-launch-five-ward-based-grocery-stores/
- Published: 2026-09-18T20:07:43.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T20:07:43.000Z
- Description: By uniting local non-profits, city leaders, and neighborhood wisdom, Newark is demonstrating what community food sovereignty looks like in practice.
- Author: IN THE WAKE TV 
- Tags: Newark

When families walk into a grocery store, they should expect dignity, affordability, and fresh options on the shelves. In Newark, where more than half of all residents live in state-designated food deserts, getting groceries has long meant navigating high markups, long transit rides, or limited bodega selections.

That dynamic shifted this week as Mayor Ras J. Baraka, local community organizations, and neighborhood residents celebrated the official ribbon-cutting for five new community-partnered city grocery stores. Located across all five wards, the stores offer staple goods, fresh produce, meat, dairy, and household essentials at 30% below wholesale prices—with no memberships or minimum purchases required.

![Images provided by City of Newark Press Office](https://storage.ghost.io/c/17/1a/171a11af-e20a-40f2-8382-82bff915265e/content/images/2026/09/55519414187_ca3da01790_c.jpg)

Images provided by City of Newark Press Office

The model grew out of emergency food hubs set up during last winter's federal government shutdown. Rather than relying on temporary aid, the city made the commitment permanent, backing each location with $250,000 in municipal support.

Instead of handing operations over to outside corporations, the city partnered directly with trusted neighborhood organizations. The Central Ward store at 312 New Street is powered by St. James Social Service Corporation.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/17/1a/171a11af-e20a-40f2-8382-82bff915265e/content/images/2026/09/55520581339_7309af5be9_c.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/17/1a/171a11af-e20a-40f2-8382-82bff915265e/content/images/2026/09/55520618298_36dbcb0f15_c--1-.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/17/1a/171a11af-e20a-40f2-8382-82bff915265e/content/images/2026/09/55520618393_30c90d8f34_c.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/17/1a/171a11af-e20a-40f2-8382-82bff915265e/content/images/2026/09/55520806680_f6ef7e8913_c.jpg)

Images provided by City of Newark Press Office

"Each year, we distribute more than 401 tons of food through our emergency food pantry and soup kitchen," shared Vesta Godwin Clark, Executive Director of St. James Social Service Corporation. "We know this grocery store will be a blessing to many people—not only in the Central Ward, but throughout Newark."

For residents, the initiative represents more than lower prices—it offers a permanent, community-anchored solution to long-standing structural barriers. 

As these five locations begin accepting SNAP and WIC benefits in the coming weeks, they stand as a testament to what happens when cities invest directly in the people who hold neighborhoods together.