WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)—More fresh fruits and veggies will soon be offered in Wichita’s food desert areas under the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. Neighbors in north Wichita say the community is well overdue for this.
“This right here where we are now, Mr. Mc’s Market. It’s like a convenience store,” said Mary Dixon, who lives off of 23rd Street and Prince.
Dixon says there are no big grocery stores in the area.
“We used to have one like on 13th and Grove that was Save-A-Lot. But now they try to tour like a senior place, medical place,” said Dixon.
Mr Mc’s Market’s CEO says their customers are looking for fresh produce.
“We are definitely in a food desert. If you go left or right, you tell me how many miles and blocks it takes you to go to the grocery store,” said Alisha Broomfield, Mr. Mc’s Market CEO.
The corner store program was approved by the Wichita City Council earlier this month. This will help smaller markets like Mr. Mc’s get refrigerators so they can stock produce and other items that need to stay cold.
“Being a new mom is really exciting, and when you think of all the things they say, brain foods and vegetables that children need to develop, and you go looking for them, and it takes four or five stores to find what you need, that’s a bit much,” said Broomfield.
Dixon says this initiative will serve the community greatly.
It will benefit us a lot because right here in this community, we have to go out, you know, farther,” said Dixon.
Broomfield expects to install fridges and start to stock fresh produce by the beginning of next year.