PCC Community Markets will open its downtown Seattle store early next year. The location will occupy 20,000 square feet in the Wright Runstad’s Rainer Square project and bring about 100 union jobs to the community.
In an effort to support the Downtown Seattle community now, PCC will offer five Downtown Seattle Food Access Grants, totaling $25,000, to nonprofits focused on food access. The co-op will begin accepting applications on Tuesday, June 22 and the grants will be awarded later this summer. Last year, PCC donated 1.7 million pounds of food and product to 40 grocery rescue partners as part of its effort to make high-quality, organic, local food accessible to more people.
“PCC is committed to helping build back a vibrant and healthy downtown,” said PCC CEO and president, Suzy Monford, in a statement. “When Downtown PCC opens in 2022, it will bring the neighborhood local, organic and sustainably sourced food. But we know that it is critical to address the growing food insecurity in our community now, and we are excited to offer our new food access grant program to support our downtown neighbors.”
As PCC opens new locations, each store partners with a food bank to extend food access programming in support of the communities served. In planning for the new Downtown location over the past year, PCC met with multiple food banks, meal agencies and community groups to best understand their needs.
“The pandemic has hit our Downtown community particularly hard,” said Rachel Smith, president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “PCC has a rich tradition of supporting our Seattle neighborhoods with their food access programs and the new Downtown Seattle Food Access Grant comes at a pivotal time to help serve our community.”
Related: PCC Community Markets Rolls Out Self-Checkout; PCC Returns 60 Percent of Profits to Community.
Image: PCC Community Markets