<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Ki0T9_1F1oPb4N00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Ki0T9_1F1oPb4N00" width="3840" height="985" >On Thursday, Sept. 10, Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC (GIENC) opened the doors of the new Goodwill Community Cupboard at 150 S. 5th Street in Aurora, the first food market the town has seen in over a decade since the closing of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store."I love it," Carolle Davis, a resident of Aurora said. "Everything is just so nice, so clean, so organized, and I'll be coming back." Prior to Thursday's grand opening, Davis shopped for groceries in Grantsboro and New Bern, which was a 20 minute drive. Now, it will take her about five minutes to get to the new store. The market offers a variety of fresh produce, meats and shelf staples. In addition, the Cupboard offers a meeting space that will focus on STEAM-related activities and foster community engagement, according to GIENC. "I am impressed so far. I hope it stays this way," Russell Shane, an Aurora resident said. Helping to bring the cupboard to Aurora were Brantley Tillman, of Belhaven and Kurt Ryan of Aurora. Tillman has dedicated more than 40 years of volunteer service to GIENC, of which 20 have been spent serving as a member of the board of directors. Tillman said GIENC researched towns in Eastern North Carolina where a food market would be beneficial. He said the Community Cupboard is the first of its kind by GIENC, and that there is no better place than Aurora to implement this new initiative."But this will be the first one...we were looking for a place to do it, and I thought there's no better place than Aurora," Tillman said. He added that it was "wonderful" to see people shopping in the new store. Ryan is the chairman of the Aurora Leadership Council and has worked on several initiatives to revive the town. Ryan said it was "special" to see fellow Aurora shop at the Community Cupboard given that Aurora was deemed a food desert at one time. "Our citizens, who many lack mobility or access to good fresh fruits and vegetables - Goodwill has turned our food desert into a food oasis. [It's] so special to see the people here at the grand opening. They have a place now to go for really quality food," Ryan said. Kurt Ryan said. Ryan is the chairman of the Aurora Leadership Council which is a group of volunteers focused on the betterment of Aurora's future. Aurora Mayor Curt Hendrix said, "I've lived here for a decade and there's never been a grocery store. It's always been 25 minutes to the Bayboro area and then 25 minutes back. Now, [the cupboard] is three minutes away. This is very convenient." Before the opening of the Community Cupboard, Aurora was designated as a food desert. This designation is given to areas where at least 500 citizens or at least 33% of the population lives more than one mile from a grocery store and/or supermarket. For rural areas, the distance is greater than 10 miles. </div></body>

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On Thursday, Sept. 10, Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC (GIENC) opened the doors of the new Goodwill Community Cupboard at 150 S. 5th Street in Aurora, the first food market the town has seen in over a decade since the closing of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. "I love it,"...

Community Cupboard opens in Aurora

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On Thursday, Sept. 10, Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC (GIENC) opened the doors of the new Goodwill Community Cupboard at 150 S. 5th Street in Aurora, th

Community Cupboard opens in Aurora

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