Our city has one of the highest poverty rates in the state of Indiana.  A disproportionate number of  low income people live in the inner city, in old, deteriorating houses and apartments.  At one time, there was an A&P  within walking distance, but that disappeared long ago.  It was never replaced. Nowhere to shop but the Dollar Store. Which meant that you often saw people buying  unhealthy foods. Bacon, sugary snacks, processed meat .  Because  nothing fresh was available.   But this week , DG Market  rescued the food desert.

Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I stopped for my usual supply of  bargains like mouthwash and vitamins.  It’s on the way home from the YMCA and the library, so I often pull in there, even though it used to be one of the dingiest Dollar Stores in town:   piles of jumbled up merchandise. aisles of packaged  food  full of salt, carbohydrates, and fat.  (Potato chips, lunch meat, cupcakes, etc.)

A lot of their clientele  suffer from diabetes and obesity, due to poor diets.  Many folks don’t drive.  Can’t afford a car, and all that it entails—insurance, license plates, etc.  Breaks your heart to see them trudging along in inclement weather with heavy bags.  But yesterday, a bright light appeared.  A great big yellow sign that read, DG Market.  I really didn’t need anything, but when I saw a grand opening sign, I had to stop.

First thing I noticed was the neatly stocked shelves.  No tables and racks piled with  merchandise.  Plenty of room.  A fresh smell.  And then, as I approached the new self-serve checkout, my heart soared.  Just inside the door,  bananas! Baskets of  apples, oranges, fresh vegetables and fruits.  And then, believe it or not, a whole refrigerated section with fresh, unprocessed meats.

As a dietitian, I felt like jumping for joy.  At last, disadvantaged  kids can have an orange for breakfast, a fresh salad for dinner.  And a pork chop or chicken leg that isn’t full of sodium and preservatives.  Patients with high blood pressure can buy low sodium meat and fresh fruits to provide the potassium they need to keep their fluids under control. Kudus to Dollar General for rescuing our city’s food desert.