Food desert concerns in westside neighborhood

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Some community members are trying to help residents who are without a store, ever since Westside Shop closed.

Fresh produce was being handed out left and right outside of Westside Shop on Tuesday afternoon.
The store was shut down two weeks ago because it was deemed a public nuisance.

“That is all we had on the Westside and it has been taken away,” said Aysja Pryor, a member leader with Concerned Citizens for Justice.

Pryor has handed out free produce in this neighborhood for the past year, but she says it is important now more than ever.

“There was an elder woman, and there have been several different stories, who has low blood sugar problems. She had to get rushed to the hospital for a few days because she couldn’t even get a piece of candy to rise her blood sugar,” Pryor said.

Tuesday evening, Pryor and other organizers went to the city council meeting to address the food desert issue.

“So that is roughly 70,803 people who live right now in food deserts,” Pyor told city council members.

Some council members say there are different ways to address this problem.

“What other opportunities there are as well and if we could think out of the box because it is not just the city opening up a grocery store we can do other things as well and partner with different entities,” said Demetrus Coonrod, city council member for District 9.

Pryor asked for 30 minutes presenting time, within the next couple of weeks, to further discuss food deserts and community members concerns. Council members agreed.

Pryor is hoping this is one step that will help to bring change to this Westside neighborhood.