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250 Boxes of Food Given To Garfield Park Residents Left In The Dust By Aldi’s Abrupt Exit – CBS Chicago


CHICAGO (CBS) — Within the West Garfield Park neighborhood, a grocery retailer strikes out and hope strikes in, within the type of an emergency meals giveaway.

CBS 2’s Marissa Parra exhibits us what was executed at present, and what advocates are pushing for tomorrow.

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It’s been nearly one month because the boards went up and the doorways closed for the ultimate time on the Garfield Park Aldi, seemingly with out warning

Volunteers spent Saturday stepping in and stepping up; freely giving meals solely toes away from the place groceries was once bought.

“This Aldi’s been right here since so long as I’ve been right here, and to see it simply go away is certainly devastating, particularly for the group,” stated Leoshay Dobbs, who works in group engagement at Rush College Medical Heart.

The Aldi grocery retailer that served West Garfield Park for 3 many years shuttered all of a sudden practically one month in the past.

“I want the Lord they might put it again,” stated Earlene Boyle, who lives throughout the road.

Boyle now takes a bust to the closest grocery retailer, a Save A Lot nearly a mile away, not precisely a simple journey at her age.

“I’m 81 years previous, and in order that takes an entire lot of time for me,” she stated.

An Aldi spokesperson cited “declining gross sales,” including that the now-shuttered retailer had been working “at a loss for a number of years.”

“Almost a month in the past, we made the tough choice to completely shut our retailer situated at 3835 W. Madison. We take the closing of this location very significantly. Our choice was based mostly on a number of elements, together with persistently declining gross sales and the truth that we’ve operated this location at a loss for a number of years. Poor gross sales efficiency and elevated bills have merely made it unsustainable to maintain the shop open,” the corporate stated in an announcement. “We have now been proud to serve the residents of the West Garfield Park neighborhood over the previous 30 years, and we thank our clients for his or her loyalty. We look ahead to persevering with to serve them at one in every of our many shops close by, together with a retailer at 800 N. Kedzie, which is simply over one mile from the previous location on W. Madison.”

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Not everyone seems to be shopping for Aldi’s rationalization.

“Who’s accountable? Nicely, first is Aldi themselves,” stated Dr. David Ansell, senior vp for group well being fairness at Rush College Medical Heart. “It’s an act of violence, as a result of individuals have been put in hurt’s method by Aldi’s leaving, and entry to recent meals and greens faraway from the group.”

Ansell is a part of the Garfield Park Ceremony to Wellness Collaborative (GPRWC) workforce who organized the emergency meals distribution on Saturday.

“Life expectancy on this neighborhood is the bottom within the West Facet of Chicago; many, many causes, however primary is heart problems, for which meals is drugs,” Ansell stated. “You’ve 4 senior buildings inside strolling distance right here, half the individuals on this neighborhood don’t have automobiles.”

Volunteers distributed 250 packing containers’ value of meals to keen West Garfield Park residents, a few of whom lined up hours forward of time.

“I bought carrots, I bought some good greens, I like greens,” stated Warren Gardner, who lives throughout the road, sifting via his baggage. “An enormous ole rooster! That’s even higher.”

As households loaded carts, advocates have been wanting ahead.

“We’re going to be out right here for the subsequent six weeks, however after the six weeks, what’s subsequent? How are individuals going to get entry to wholesome meals other than fuel stations or nook shops?” stated Dobbs, gesturing in the direction of the nook retailer throughout the road, with an indication that claims “Madison Grocery store” subsequent to photographs promoting soda and chips. “You’ll be able to’t make a meal out of that.”

GPRWC stated they’ve been involved with Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), pushing to carry a brand new reasonably priced grocery retailer in Aldi’s place.

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The Garfield Park Ceremony To Wellness Collaborative has a sequence of meals giveaways deliberate over the subsequent a number of weeks on the former Aldi retailer. They’re planning meals giveaways on 4 extra Saturdays: Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. A particular giveaway forward of Thanksgiving already was deliberate for Friday, Nov. 19, at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, which can deal with meals for households for 2 week, since there gained’t be one on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day.



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