OUR PROJECT
Brady Scholars 16
Food Insecurity in the 5th Ward
The C&W Market Foundation
THE C&W FOUNDATION
Long-time Evanston residents Clarence and Wendy Weaver own C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor, a convenience store and ice cream parlor located in Evanston’s 5th ward. In addition, the Weavers founded the C&W Market Foundation, a non-profit established to support their convenience store and to focus on community workforce development. From the onset of their business in 2014, the Weavers have intended to create a safe haven that serves the community both by alleviating food insecurity and creating service opportunities.
Today, the store offers an assortment of foodstuffs as well as catering services. In spite of—and in response to—the disturbance of COVID-19, the Weavers continued to address food insecurity impacting local neighborhood families and senior citizens. These efforts began with weekly grocery deliveries to 25 senior citizens and has continually expanded alongside community needs. Now, the Weavers and their community partners serve over 220 families on a weekly basis.
THE BRADY SCHOLARS
The Brady Scholars is a three-year program at Northwestern aiming to connect the study of ethics to community service and civic engagement. The program includes a series of classes on moral and political philosophy, a study-abroad component where students are encouraged to consider ethics in a global and comparative context, and a senior capstone project. The Brady Scholars 16s cohort (graduating June 2026) has chosen to address food insecurity in Evanston’s 5th Ward for their senior capstone project.
Visit us on Instagram.OUR PROJECT
In collaboration with the C&W Foundation, the Brady Scholars aim to transform the C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor from a convenience store to a fully equipped, self-sustaining grocery store to serve a community in need. Currently, Evanston’s 5th Ward is a low-income region that has been overlooked by larger, mainstream produce distributors. As a result, Evanston's 5th ward has been designated a food desert, as 96% of the ward’s residents live over half a mile away from a major grocery store. In converting the C&W Market from a convenience store to a grocery store, we aim to provide 5th Ward residents with consistent access to quality produce, ultimately alleviating the harmful effects of food insecurity.
This process will require updating the store’s existing infrastructure to include ventilation and refrigeration suitable for housing fresh produce, redesigning the layout of the store, and expanding produce offerings. Such renovations prove necessary, due to the current costs in upkeep and repair of existing refrigeration systems. Upon the Brady 16s’ graduation, the Weavers will continue to run the renovated grocery store, bolstering community health and providing 5th Ward residents with long-term, equitable access to healthy produce.