City Of Bridgeport To Expand Healthy Corner Store Initiative

BRIDGEPORT, CT - From The Bridgeport Health & Social Services: The Bridgeport Health and Social Services Department in collaboration with A Pinch of Salt will expand the Healthy Corner Store Initiative with a cooking demonstration at Hillview Market on Madison Avenue in Bridgeport today, April 4, 2018 from 12 pm-1 pm. Residents will learn of healthy snacks or meal options from a combination of the corner store’s regularly stocked ingredients and fresh produce from the recently opened Healthy Corner Store refrigeration cases.

Director of Bridgeport Health and Social Services Maritza Bond said, “The Bridgeport Health Department is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of Bridgeport residents. We are so happy to be working with our local community partners who are as invested as we are in the health of this city.”

There are a total of seven corner stores or ‘bodegas’ in Bridgeport collaborating with the Health Department and community partners. Each ‘bodega’ has been equipped with an energy-efficient refrigeration case thanks to grant funding aimed at providing affordable fresh fruits and vegetables in several of Bridgeport’s neighborhoods.

Hillview Market store owner Ken Peters said, “Our store looks forward to welcoming first-time and returning neighbors to explore the traditional and new offerings that Hillview Market carries. Our location by Sacred Heart University and near several neighborhoods, encourages us to mindfully consider the needs of both family and student lifestyles. We think store visitors will be happy to find a great mix of options to fulfill their menus and tastes.”

Chef Raquel Rivera-Pablo of A Pinch of Salt said, “Creating recipes utilizing staple bodega ingredients and incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables is exciting! Bodegas are often viewed as convenience stores, but rarely are they seen for what they could potentially be: a valuable source for wholesome meal preparations.”

For more information, visit www.bridgeportct.gov/health or call 203-576-7680.

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