WCPO 9's Alex Null covers the East Side. If you have a story that you'd like Alex to look into or a news tip, email him at alex@wcpo.com.
For the past 15 years, the Save-A-Lot store in Roselawn has served as a vital option in the heart of a food desert. Now, the store may be at risk of closing.
Store Manager Iesha Christian said the store has been family-owned since it opened.
She said the store provides affordable food prices.
“Not only is it a good place to work, but you also get reasonable prices on food that you can’t find anywhere else most of the time," Christian said.
Christian said the store's owner is now retiring, leaving its future up in the air.
WATCH: Hear why the store may close and how neighbors are pushing city leaders for help:
She said they're hoping the Save-A-Lot corporation will take over the store. However, she said it's unclear if that will happen.
“This is the only active grocery store in this area, so if you take this away, these people won’t have anywhere to shop," Christian said.
Christian said employees and residents are now asking city leaders for help.
“This should be on the list for funding," Christian said. "They’re opening everything else, building things, but what about grocery stores?”
Christian said she's worried about the impact closing the store would have on residents, pointing to the lack of grocery options in the area.
“We have elderly people that don’t have transportation," Christian said. "They use their scooters, bikes or walkers to get here.”
Before Save-A-Lot opened, there was a Kroger at Hillcrest Square.
When that store closed in 2010, neighbors went about 14 months without a viable grocery option.
Roselawn resident Debora Champion said it left neighbors with limited options.
“It kind of put this city in a health crisis," Champion said.
Champion said Save-A-Lot provides affordable, healthy foods most neighbors can't get anywhere else.
She said having that option helped her lose over 100 pounds.
“I remember there was times that I couldn’t even walk to the store because I could barely breathe... it just made a big impact on my life," Champion said.
Champion said she's worried about history repeating itself.
She said she believes city leaders should step in to help fund the store and keep it open.
“It would truly be, not just a health crisis, but an economic crisis, because people would lose their jobs," Champion said.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 East Side reporter Alex Null? Email him at alex@wcpo.com.
