Three Baltimore Avenue businesses are teaming up to support students attending a neighborhood elementary school.

Mariposa Food Co-op, together with Hair Vyce Studio and Studio 34 Yoga, are collecting school supplies to donate to Harrington Elementary School located at 53rd and Baltimore.

Everyone is welcome to donate notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, binders, paper, tissues and other supplies. All proceeds will be given directly to the school to distribute to the students on the first day of school (Tues., Sept. 3).  Continue Reading

Mariposa, the cooperative grocery store at 49th and Baltimore, has implemented two initiatives aimed at making a positive contribution to the neighborhood: On September 20, it announced a 10 percent discount program for qualifying low-income shoppers, and back in August it raised its minimum salary from $10.75 to $13 per hour.

The 10 percent discount emerged from a sense among Mariposa’s leadership that many of the store’s products aren’t accessible to all its neighbors. Hillary Wickline, Mariposa’s marketing coordinator, said the organization knows that even with government assistance, healthy food can be out of reach.

“We just want to make sure that we’re creating a welcoming space within this environment and not serving just a group of people with a steady income of, like, $50,000 a year or something like that,” Wickline said.  Continue Reading

Eating healthy on a budget can be a challenge, especially for lower income individuals and families. In an effort to increase the community’s accessibility to affordable healthy, local and sustainable foods, Mariposa, the cooperative grocery store located at 49th and Baltimore, has expanded Co+op Basics, an everyday low-price program.

“The Baltimore Avenue corridor has changed significantly over the past decade due to new development and construction, however, the area remains home to lower income communities with little access to fresh produce and nutritious foods,” reads a recent statement from Mariposa. “As a staple of West Philadelphia for over 45 years, our mission to provide our community with access to healthy and sustainable foods relies on the affordability of our store.”

The Co+op Basics program was first introduced in December 2015. Since then new products appeared on Mariposa’s shelves, and the store, which was always known for quality products, but wasn’t always affordable, has lowered prices on grocery staples necessary for a balanced diet. Now, shoppers can find everyday low prices on popular grocery and household items, including fresh produce, dairy, meat, bulk, grocery, and wellness products.  Continue Reading

Mariposa‘s Food Justice and Anti-Racism Working Group (FJAR) is building a library and seeking donations of books, zines and articles relating to food justice, organizing, pedagogy, gentrification, racism, and anti-oppression. Donations of cookbooks and primers about the food system and nutrition for both youth and adults are also welcome.

If you have books you’d like to donate, please drop them off in the store (4824 Baltimore Ave) or contact Mariposa for a pick-up by emailing: mariposa.fjar.library@gmail.com.

The library is expected to open this spring and materials will be available (during designated times) for borrowing by both staff and members.