This new and exciting project known as the M.O.S.E.S. Supermarket Task Force, will function as an employee stock ownership plan or ESOP. It will also be designed to help Detroiters through these difficult economic times and into the future by creating new jobs, redeveloping Detroit and providing a healthy food source for the local community.

Father Ted Parker, of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, said, "All the community groups here today are equal in their resolve to work towards ensuring access to healthy, affordable food as a human right regardless of location, income, race, or gender and therefore should be one of the most important goals of Detroit."

"We want to create a good grocery store in Detroit so that we have a better quality of life," said Mary Lou Malone, co-chair of the M.O.S.E.S. Supermarket Task Force.

Detroiters face many social and economic problems. These problems affect their everyday lives including activities as simple as grocery shopping. Many grocery stores are located far outside of the community, making quality food relatively inaccessible to many. Many Detroiters don't own cars; and are forced to shop for outdated, low nutrition food at local markets. In many cases, the food is priced higher than outside Detroit.

The ESOP encourages its employees to own stock in their grocery store, providing a way for employees to build wealth. Essentially, the money from store profit will be reinvested into the community for redevelopment. Profits will also be used to create similar ESOP grocery stores throughout the city of Detroit, thus developing other neighborhoods and benefiting the city as a whole. The coalition's objective is to open a number of these community-based and employee owned grocery stores, the first one serving as a pilot.

The grocery store will require two to three and a half acres of land, or a building between 25,000 -- 40,000 square feet which can be renovated, as well as the help and support of the local community and organizations in the surrounding neighborhood.

The coalition is calling on the community to assist in securing the funding necessary for purchasing land, making renovations, and purchasing needed items to open the business.

The project's other goal is to encourage local urban development. Not only will these stores provide the community with jobs, they will also be conveniently located and made accessible to the local population.

"This store will provide good-paying jobs to Detroit residents and allow the employees to make important decisions in the grocery store management, while building wealth," said Rick Blocker, secretary-treasurer of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876.

To ensure the task force receives wide community support, the public is invited to a meeting with elected officials to secure commitments to ensure a healthier Detroit. The event is being held:

UFCW Local 876