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Black Lives Matter hosting food justice forum in wake of Walnut Hills Kroger store closure

6-8 p.m. Thursday at Bush Recreation Center
Posted at 5:56 AM, Mar 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-16 05:56:43-04

CINCINNATI -- It's been just over a week since the Walnut HIlls Kroger store went dark, closing its doors for good on March 8, and neighbors are now trying to figure out what to do next with the Queen City's newest food desert.

Community organizers and Black Lives Matter Cincinnati will host a series of meetings for residents to share their opinions about how to improve and increase the number of available food options in the neighborhood. The first meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Bush Recreation Center at 2640 Kemper Lane.

"When communities are faced with this kind of damaging loss and become food deserts, community members must spend time to travel further distances to fulfill their basic human right to accessible and affordable healthy food. Although food deserts can happen in any community, a large majority are created in communities that are predominantly black and low-income. For folks who do not have transportation and health-related issues such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, lactose intolerance and allergies, this problem becomes more of a burden. Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati supports food justice, ensuring that communities have food options that are not only accessible, healthy, and affordable, but also culturally appropriate."

-- Black Lives Matter Cincinnati

READ MORE: Walnut Hills neighbors, foundation consider future of Kroger site on East McMillan

Kroger is offering a bus transportation system to the new Corryville store for former Walnut Hills store customers. Those who registered and used their Kroger Plus cards in the Walnut Hills store before it closed are eligible for the service through Aug. 31.

 

Here's how it works:

  • Participants had to register for the program before March 8.
  • Shop new Corryville store, spend at least $20, present your Plus card at checkout.
  • Customers will receive a message on the bottom of their receipt to present at the customer service desk for their round-trip bus ticket.
  • Offer limited to two shopping trips per household per week until Aug 31.

Kroger also is offering a free shuttle service for customers 50 and older from the Walnut Hills parking lot to the new Corryville store on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through March 31, 2018. Customers must show an ID each time they use the service. The company is partnering with Cincinnati Area Senior Services on the shuttle.