Next time you go shopping for groceries, give this a try. When you reach your vehicle with your full grocery cart instead of emptying it into your vehicle pick up all of the bags you have, as many as you can possibly hold in each hand. As you stand holding the bags, think about shopping with two small children, say 2 and 4 years old. Consider how you are going to get home with all those bags, the two small children both of whom really need to be holding hands with you. Take a look at the area surrounding the store where you shop. Where are the sidewalks? How many major intersections would you have to cross to get those groceries and those precious children home safely? How far would all of you have to walk?
More than 50,000 people in Greenville County live more than a mile from a grocery store and do not have a car. For many the closest store that sells food is a convenience store with no fresh produce or meat. For many that closest store also has the highest prices. For many, not being able to get to a full service grocery store means having to purchase smaller, more expensive packages of food instead of taking advantage of bigger packages at better prices.
Access to food, preferably healthy food, is about more than just having the money to purchase the food. If you can’t get there, and then get home with the food you need, you can’t feed your family.
It isn’t just about the groceries.
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