Del Valle residents start community-run food co-op [Video]

DEL VALLE, Texas — With the closest grocery store to Del Valle being more than six miles away, some people living in that area are taking food insecurity into their own hands by pursuing a community-run food co-op.

In 2021, the Austin City Council dedicated $500,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to make it happen, with an eventual goal of building a permanent, full-service grocery store in Del Valle.

The effort is being led by Go Austin/Vamos Austin, which considered several areas in need of wider food access. Del Valle was found to have the strongest need.

The first step is launching a pilot store with the co-op, which will run out of a shipping container three days a week. KVUE’s media partners at the Austin American-Statesman say the co-op board hopes to have that up and running by next year.

The co-op will be collectively controlled by share-owning members, with profits reinvested into operations or redistributed to members. Co-op membership fees are set at …