The South End Grocery store on South Pearl Street in Albany is now bringing fresh and locally sourced food to an area long deprived of a grocery store.

For the residents, it's the relief they had been waiting for. They believe the store can change the future of the younger generation growing up in the South End neighborhood.

"There's so many kids on this end," a local resident said. "They don't see owners in these places that looks like them. They don't have the men around giving them that extra. You can do this. But now they do.”

Members of the South End community believe, in addition to the access of nutritious food, that this is also a great opportunity for local vendors. The ambitious effort was led by the South End Grocery Coalition, which is made up of over 75 organizations, and executed by BlueLight Development Group in conjunction with the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region.

Georgette Steffens, executive director of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, said, "It is hoping to also create more entrepreneurs, more makers, more chefs, more private businesses that can continue to grow here in this space and throughout the city."

Travon Jackson, president of BlueLight Development Group and executive director of African American Cultural Center said, “To stand here today as a Black man, it can be difficult for people to weave together a story of triumph repeatedly on multiple occasions. And with this project, we've shown that people of color can not only win on a small scale, on a large scale, but repeatedly in pursuit of a mission bigger than themselves for the benefit of their people.”