WACO, Texas — Five years ago, Jubilee Food Market opened its doors in North Waco, hoping to solve a major problem for the neighborhood: it was in a food desert.
Residents would need to travel more than two and a half miles to access healthy and affordable food, which was not an easy feat for some, especially those without transportation.
In 2016, Mission Waco sought to bring an oasis to the desert. Jubilee was born.
"I can't believe I've been shopping here for five years," said longtime customer Barbara Haynes. She lived right down the road from the current location at 15th St. and Colcord Ave for 13 years. Getting to a grocery story wasn't so easy back then.
"We would always used to have to find our wat to, back then, the Piggly Wiggly on Herring," she said. "And then you have to go on down to H-E-B, and most of the time we had to walk, so it was a hassle."
Since 2016, the market has grown and expanded, with plenty of loyal customers.
"We went from sort of a small convenience store to a very large, healthy grocery store in our neighborhood," said Mission Waco executive director John Calaway.
This Saturday, to help celebrate the market's five-year anniversary, Jubilee is hosting a health fair at the store. The public is welcome to come by for free health care services, a Zumba class and COVID vaccines among other activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..
