Friends of Woodfords Corner

Shop Around the World Initiative

The City of Portland’s Office of Economic Opportunity is excited to partner with Friends of Woodfords Corner to launch Shop Around the World, an initiative designed to spotlight and celebrate the rich diversity of ethnic grocers and minority-owned businesses in the Woodfords Corner neighborhood. This initiative aims to promote and build traction to local small businesses by sponsoring promotional tents at the Woodfords Corner Farmers Market for three local grocers this summer. Participating business owners will be provided with a unique platform to share their stories, recipes, and products with the community in order to encourage more shoppers to visit and purchase goods from their stores.

Benefits for Participating Grocers:

• Promotion and Exposure: Your business will be prominently featured at a spotlight tent at the Woodfords Corner Farmers Market, drawing increased foot traffic and visibility to your business.

• Financial Support: The City will purchase up to $100 worth of your products to offer as samples, enticing market-goers to visit your store.

• Operational Convenience: A community leader from the City of Portland’s Natural Helpers program will help design and manage the booth at the market, allowing you to focus on your business without taking time off work.

• Optional Additional Promotion: If interested, participating grocers can offer coupons to further incentivize shoppers to visit your store after experiencing your products at the market.

The City of Portland is committed to creating pathways toward economic opportunity and we are pleased to provide this opportunity at no cost for local, minority-owned businesses.

For more information or to sign up for this exciting initiative, please contact Victoria Hernandez at (510) 294-0224 or let a visiting representative from Woodfords Corner, Natural Helpers or the Office of Economic Opportunity know.

ABOUT US:

Woodfords Corner District Map:
	      
				The Farmers Market:

Thursdays, May-October, 3:30-6:30 pm
202 Woodfords St, Portland

Friends of Woodfords Corner (FWC): FWC works to revitalize Woodfords Corner in Portland, Maine, by promoting it as a vibrant village hub, supporting our businesses, and encouraging community involvement in our neighborhood. Over 9,000 people live within walking distance and over 20,000 cars pass through Woodfords Corner each day. FWC seeks to encourage economic vitality through supporting and highlighting local businesses, recruiting new businesses and organizations, and working with the City to make doing business in this district more attractive and prosperous.

City of Portland’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO): By convening resources and enhancing communication, OEO plays a pivotal role in fostering economic equity and vitality within Portland’s diverse communities. Our mission is to facilitate collaboration among public and private partners to ensure equitable access to job opportunities and support services for racially and ethnically diverse populations and other underserved communities.

Natural Helpers: Natural Helpers is a program of the Office of Economic Opportunity which identifies, trains and empowers local community leaders to bridge the gap between city resources and residents and support community members in accessing opportunities for economic mobility.