Parramore Market Opens, Fulfilling a Promise to Keep Showing Up

What started with 20 turkeys and a small Thanksgiving gathering in 2020 has grown into an organization that has served 6,000 people and distributed more than 800,000lbs of food. On Tuesday, Oct. 27th, Jennifer Hilaire, Founder and Executive Director of The Desire Foundation, celebrated another milestone with the ribbon cutting of Parramore Market, a new community grocery market at 536 N. Westmoreland Drive in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood.

During today's ceremony, Hilaire reflected on the people who helped turn her vision into reality, including Interstruct's Ryan Young, whose initial contribution of 20 turkeys helped launch the effort. She also shared an emotional acknowledgment of her father, crediting his sacrifices and encouragement for shaping the person she has become.

Hilaire said the market represents access to groceries and a commitment to a community that once questioned whether her organization would continue showing up. "During our outdoor food distributions, people would ask me all the time, 'Are you going to stay, or are you only doing this temporarily?'" Hilaire recalled. "And somehow, somewhere along the way, I began to understand that coming back was part of what we were giving."

Today, that commitment has a permanent address, where families can choose groceries for their households with dignity. The foundation's goal is to ensure no Parramore family has to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table.