20,000 residents could lose grocery access if Save-A-Lot closes | Opinion

Sources: Cincinnati Enquirer, aol.com

Food access is shrinking in Cincinnati.

Neighborhoods with few options for fresh food are losing their only grocery stores. By fresh food, I’m not talking about boxed macaroni and cheese or frozen pizzas (though delicious and easy for a busy household). I’m talking about heads of lettuce, bags of onions, blueberries, a big hunk of pork, or packages of chicken thighs.

These are the kinds of foods you won’t find at a gas station or convenience store. They are nutritious and filling. They’re ingredients to a meal cooked at home for loved ones.

Food deserts have real consequences

A shocking number of people in Cincinnati don’t have reasonable access to these foods. Many Cincinnati neighborhoods are “food deserts” − areas that have limited or no access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious foods. East Price Hill, Lower Price Hill, Bond Hill, South Fairmount, West End and Winton Hills are all food deserts. 

I was saddened to hear about the closure of Meiser’s Market in Lower Price Hill and the struggles that the Country Meat Co. Marketplace in Avondale faced in the past year. Small grocery stores like these are key providers of fresh and nutritious meals for those of us living in areas with limited food access − like West Price Hill, Evanston and Camp Washington (also food deserts). 

It’s not always easy to just “go to another neighborhood.” Imagine carrying a gallon of milk and four grocery bags on a bus. Now add a six-month-old baby and a toddler to the mix. Oh, and it’s raining. And there isn’t a seat or shelter at the bus stop. And you’ve already been at work for eight hours.

Are you going to make the trip to the grocery store for ingredients to make a hearty soup? Or, are you going to pick up that frozen pizza from the gas station?

Consider the connection between health and food insecurity in Cincinnati, especially among Black residents. Roselawn is a predominantly Black neighborhood (85.9%), and in addition to low access to healthy food, Roselawn also ranks high in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Compare it to a place like Oakley, a predominantly White neighborhood (81.9%) with grocery stores to spare. People who live in Oakley have an average life expectancy of 77.1 years. In Roselawn, it’s 72 − an almost five-year difference, five miles apart.

While many factors contribute to this discrepancy, living in a food desert means you’re more likely to have chronic health issues that are especially difficult to manage without access to healthy food.

Grocery stores are community lifelines 

I live in a food desert. I’ve navigated food insecurity personally, and I can speak to the critical role local grocery stores play. There were many times in my life when we relied on the goodwill of our neighbors, a weekly church meal, a box of crackers, and a small jar of peanut butter to get us through to the next paycheck. It doesn’t have to be this way for families or for anyone.

And while pantries, churches, and neighborly help all play a critical role in securing food for the most vulnerable, they are not a long-term solution. Grocery stores that carry a wide variety of fresh foods, pantry staples, and accept food assistance programs year-round are integral to food security. 

We face the impending closure of another grocery and community staple: the Roselawn Save-A-Lot, the last in Cincinnati. Save-A-Lot, though a national chain, has franchise locations locally run and operated by independent owners, which is the case for the Roselawn Save-A-Lot. The current owner will retire this June and hasn’t been able to secure a new buyer for the franchise, meaning that Save-A-Lot − the only true grocery store for Roselawn (and effectively Bond Hill, Golf Manor and Amberley Village) − will close after 15 years in the community.

At the Roselawn Save-A-Lot, 42% of store sales are through food assistance programs like SNAP, accounting for about $2 million every year. The closure of this store, which serves potentially food-insecure households in a food-insecure area, would leave residents in a terrible situation. If the Save-A-Lot closes, 20,000 more Cincinnatians will live in a food desert.

Cincinnati must act before it’s too late

We can save the Save-A-Lot in Roselawn. With demonstrated community support, corporate Save-A-Lot can take over store operations, keeping it open for business. I urge Roselawn residents and neighbors to share your story about what this crucial grocery store means to you, either by filling out the form here or calling 513-541-1538 and leaving a voicemail with Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative.

I also urge city leaders to take action and prevent the closure of this store. Finally, I am urging any interested business owners looking for an opportunity to step in and take this store over. Please do so.

Roselawn residents − and all Greater Cincinnati communities − deserve groceries. Our leaders in the city of Cincinnati need to step up to this opportunity and find a way to save the Roselawn Save-A-Lot before it’s too late.

Rosa E. Baker is manager of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council.