Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Access to Food

Luna's Grocery store

Since 2019, Luna's Groceries has closed a major gap in the Allied/Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood by providing fresh, affordable, culturally relevant food to residents. But Luna's is more than food. It is a community gathering space where youth, families, and elders come every day and form relationships with each other and with staff.

Jenny is Luna's manager. She is at the store faithfully, running the day-to-day of the business, keeping track of deliveries, staff schedules and development, inventory, and any emergency needs that arise. Jenny is diligent and knows how to make customers, staff, and suppliers feel welcome and cared for.

Mariam is the owner, founder, and visionary of Luna's. She saw a need and sought out resources to turn an abandoned payday loan store into a place that serves the community, despite the structural and economic challenges. Mariam developed a grocery fund for families in need, an annual Block Party that brings local vendors and artists to residents, and an annual toy/book drive for hundreds of children.

Luna's Groceries is an example of what happens when the community works together. Collectively individuals across the city of Madison band together to support service of great need in the Allied neighborhood.

Mariam Maldonado understands the importance of collaboration when it comes to access to employment, fresh food & community building. She doesn't shy away when it comes to reaching out to groups from diverse backgrounds and experiences. 

Luna's provides employment to 10 people, most of who live in the neighborhood. Their inventory is intentionally designed for their customers' needs. In partnership with other businesses like Draft Brewery and Rusty Dog Coffee and Native Essence Art, they have worked to create brands for Luna's Grocery such as Luna Llena Beer and Luna Llena Coffee. All of their marketing materials are in English and Spanish.

When building community she collaborates with Reach Dane for the use of their parking lot for Luna's Block Party, where dozens of food and goods vendors, and performing artists from a variety of ethnic groups gathered to welcome a multicultural and multigenerational crowd. 

Madison Reading Project, Free Bikes 4 Kidz, Certco, Southern Wisconsin Realtors Association, and many more individuals come together as donors for their annual Christmas toy giveaway. 

They also partner with Wisconsin Bike Federation, Dream Bikes, UW Health, and REAP Food Group for Bike Repair workshops and Bike Rodeos, as well as with UW-Madison and B Denae Artistry for the donation of murals. 

In partnership with Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce, and thanks to the trust Luna's personnel have built-in Allied, they also became a venue for the distribution of vaccines for our communities of color during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Luna's Groceries and its people understand the importance of collaboration, equity, and inclusion. They make everyone feel welcome, supply much-needed healthy food choices, generate employment, and build trust by centering on the needs of the community they live in.

Other Grocery Stores in the D10 Area:

• Santa Maria Grocery

• Don Beto Groceries

Restaurants Near D10 Area:

• Taqueria el Jalapeno

• El Panzon

• Los Atlantes

• Migrants

Food Street Vending

Learn about the Street Vending & Sidewalk Cafés City of Madison programs.   Here is a list of licensed carts and below is a list of options for a taste of our culture:

Additional carts and information can be found here: 

• https://roaminghunger.com/food-trucks/madison-wi/1/
• https://captimes.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/lets-eat-thanks-to-a-new-madison-food-cart-the-reign-of-the-arepa-has/article_27238ad0-6e8f-503c-8d23-e333a0d22a21.html

Prior Hispanic Heritage Month posts can be found here