Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email [email protected]. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.
The new year has just begun and many of our brothers and sisters are asking themselves not what they’ll eat—but if they’ll be able to feed their families at all. For many, the road to recovery from recent flooding has been long and uncertain. Families remain displaced, and those who have returned home are still grappling with what repairs they can afford to make.
This instability, coupled with growing food insecurity, makes this season especially stressful. In 2021, only 79% of Milwaukeeans lived within one mile of a grocery store, according to the Milwaukee Fresh Food Access 2023 Map Updates. That number has likely declined as major retailers like Walmart, Pick ‘n Save, and Walgreens have closed locations across the city. The most recent store closure was Aldi on North Sherman Boulevard and now potentially closing this week is the Sentry on Silver Spring Drive. These closures disproportionately impact our most vulnerable neighbors—those already facing economic hardship, transportation barriers, and limited access to healthy food…