# North Omaha Grocery Store Aims to Heal Food Desert, Revive Historic District  
**Published:** 2026-06-19T10:00:01.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/19/planned-grocery-store-aims-to-not-just-feed-but-uplift-historical-heart-of-omahas-black-community/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/north-omaha-grocery-store-aims-to-heal-food-desert-revive-historic-district

OMAHA, Neb. — [A 25,000-square-foot nonprofit grocery store planned for North Omaha](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/19/planned-grocery-store-aims-to-not-just-feed-but-uplift-historical-heart-of-omahas-black-community/) promises to do more than stock shelves with fresh produce and quality meats. Leaders say it represents an investment in the economic and health recovery of a community that has lacked adequate food access for decades.

The [Heart Ministry Center](https://www.heartministrycenter.org/), a North Omaha social services nonprofit based at 22nd and Binney Streets, is developing the market near 25th and Lake Streets with groundbreaking scheduled for fall 2026. The center says the project will create up to 40 jobs while serving nearly 50,000 residents within a 3.5-mile radius who currently must travel more than two miles to reach the nearest major grocery stores.

"This is a blessing," said Carolyn Williamson, 79, a longtime North Omaha resident who attended a community meeting this week. "I expect a domino effect: more bustle, more economic development." Williamson and her husband Charles, 84, said they currently drive outside their neighborhood to purchase their preferred fresh protein and produce.

Damany Rahn, chief executive of Heart Ministry Center, described the venture as "personal" to him, recalling his own childhood experience shopping at what he called "subpar" stores lacking quality vegetables and fruit. The nonprofit grocery store will operate with a mission to provide affordable food alongside distinctive service features: clerks will staff checkouts rather than self-checkout, and employees will serve as "old-school baggers" carrying groceries to customers' vehicles.

The planned facility will include a full-service deli, a butcher shop featuring culturally relevant products, and a florist section. A community room inside will host health screenings and group meetings, while an outdoor plaza will provide space for grilling and gathering. Notably, organizers emphasized the store will sell no alcohol, tobacco, or gambling products.

The initiative emerged from community surveys in which residents consistently identified food access as their top priority. A graphic presented at the community meeting showed no grocery stores within a half-mile walking distance of the site, with the nearest Aldi located nearly two miles away.

The new market joins other signs of North Omaha revival, including recent work on the [North 24th Streetscape Master Plan](https://growomaha.com/) and the second phase of the North Omaha Trail. The area, long considered a food desert, has seen limited commercial investment despite its historical significance as the heart of Omaha's African American community.

Heart Ministry Center, which grew from Sacred Heart Church about 40 years ago, operates other social enterprises including a laundromat, floral shop, and apparel silk-screen business that provide employment to area residents, including those transitioning from incarceration. Last year, the center's food pantry distributed more than 3 million pounds of food, and its free health clinic hosted 6,000 patient visits. Proceeds from the new grocery store will support the center's mission to provide food, healthcare, and employment pathways for low-income people.

A second community meeting is scheduled for July 29 as planners continue gathering neighborhood input on the store's final design and offerings.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/19/planned-grocery-store-aims-to-not-just-feed-but-uplift-historical-heart-of-omahas-black-community/)
- [Heart Ministry Center official website with grocery store information](https://www.heartministrycenter.org/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/19/planned-grocery-store-aims-to-not-just-feed-but-uplift-historical-heart-of-omahas-black-community/.