Gov. Kay Ivey awarded $180,000 in grants to help ensure rural residents, senior citizens and low-income families have access to healthy and fresh foods.

The six grants through Alabama’s Healthy Food Financing program will refurbish several grocery stores, establish a community garden and create a mobile farmer’s market.

The grants are designed to help businesses and non-profit organizations with projects that can supply fresh fruits, vegetables and other grocery items to neighborhoods and communities with limited access to grocery stores.

Grants awarded included:

• Tombigbee Development Group in Livingston — $40,000 to replace and repair equipment at the Piggly Wiggly in York. The York grocery store opened in October 2108 after the town had gone almost a year without a full-fledged grocery. The company is pledging about $46,378 in additional funds.

• Uniontown Superfoods — $10,000 to help renovate and convert a closed store into a grocery store in Uniontown. The owner is supplying a $304,500 for the project.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, May 1 issue of the Demopolis Times.)