For 122 years, Flanner House Inc. has been a hub of community support and resilience for northwest Indianapolis. Since its inception, the Flanner House Food Justice Program has always emphasized the idea of self-sufficiency and empowerment to people of all ages experiencing hardship due to lack of income and food stability. The northwest area of Indianapolis is the largest food desert in the city, which makes sustainable urban agriculture and distribution of healthy, locally grown food in high demand and much-needed addition to existing social services and programming. Flanner House established the Food Justice Initiatives, a multi-facet food-centered economic development plan, to address the rapid scarcity of fresh produce in our catchment area.  Within the 46208 and 46205 zip codes, there is a complete absence of quality, healthy food options. With the 2015 closures of the Double 8 Grocery Stores across the city, food accessibility quickly shifted from difficult to desperate. Flanner House’s building of Cleo’s Bodega in 2019 has stimulated economic growth from a foundational level and as an organization, we hope to build on the momentum that has been generated by the building of our micro grocery store. Creating jobs and providing food security for low-income residents who need it most has been the mission of the Flanner House Food Justice Department for over 40 years.