Canopy Atlanta asked over 140 Tri-Cities community members about the journalism they needed. Their second highest concern was a lack of access to grocery stores and fresh food.
“People are trying to do their best with what we have as far as grocery stores,” said one community listening respondent, an East Point resident of more than 40 years. “We don’t have access to fresh local stuff, but people want to use their SNAP for that kind of food.”
Canopy Atlanta also trains and pays community members, our Fellows, to learn reporting skills to better serve their community. LeJoi Lane, the reporter of this story, is a Canopy Atlanta Fellow.
What I recently spent is about half of what I’d ideally spend on groceries. I often make sacrifices on quality for affordability and have been far less adventurous in the kitchen (something I love) to be mindful of budgeting.
Typically I shop at Kroger and farmer’s markets. I used to lean more into Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods because I like the quality of their products, especially meats and seafood, but I’ve been trying to cut back on costs and meat.
My community has a Kroger and a Walmart within a five-minute drive, though they don’t offer the best experience. Walmart, for example, regularly has had open inventory waiting to be stocked on the sales floor and super long lines. The Kroger parking lot is disgusting, featuring spoiled food on footpaths and uneven roads that add to a poor experience. (I will say that I’ve always had pleasant experiences with the employees at these locations though!)
I wish that stores nearby carried more healthier or diet-specific options, like gluten-free packaged food, though still at an affordable price. The fresh produce around me is lacking, which is why I’ve leaned on farmer’s markets or food co-ops.
The corporations with stores in my area don’t see the value in providing my community with the same shopping experience they offer those in the northern part of metro Atlanta. I feel like this forcibly lowers the standard the community is willing to accept, because they often don’t have access to anything else or would have to travel quite far.
The area has a lot of fast food/cheap meal options, which I think tricks people into feeling like they have options. But in reality, how many places that deep-fry bulk frozen food do you need in an area?
Noteworthy stats
-
Monthly total
$382.94
-
Total Trips
10
-
Miles traveled
136.5
Longest trip
52 min / 33.1 mi
Shortest trip
4 min / 1.0 mi
Diary entries
27
July
Kroger
800 Glenwood Ave ↗
Distance traveled
6.9 mi
Total spent
$65.88
Notes
This used to be my favorite Kroger, but I now find it overwhelming and overstimulating. The amount of people this Kroger now serves is too much for the individual shopping experience to be pleasant. Traffic from Chick-fil-A, I-20, and the other plazas in the area make shopping here a headache.
3
August
Walmart Supercenter
844 Cleveland Ave SW, East Point ↗
Distance traveled
1 mi
Total spent
$24.58
the haul
Tomatoes, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and wax paper
Notes
I hardly ever shop at Walmart for groceries; I personally don’t think their selection is very good or healthy. I was short on time and needed a few ingredients for dinner, which didn’t feel worth braving traffic or burning too much gas for.
4
August
Kroger
590 Cascade Ave ↗
Distance traveled
4.4 mi
Total spent
$26.36
the haul
Along with bread and soy milk, I bought a lemon pepper rotisserie chicken in an attempt to save time on dinner. I regretted it immensely and ended up throwing a third of it away.
Notes
Despite growing up less than a mile from this Kroger, I’m not a fan. It’s a high traffic store in a plaza with other small stores and fast-food establishments. And there’s so much going on here before you even walk in the door. People frequently look for financial support or donations, and you may find yourself stepping over litter as you walk in the door. I wish this Kroger and the one on Cleveland Avenue could offer the community a higher standard in cleanliness and aesthetics.
5
August
Champion Gardeners Youth Entrepreneurs ↗
Downtown East Point ↗
Distance traveled
2.2 mi
Total spent
$5.00
the haul
I purchased grapes but was given free oranges for stopping by!
Notes
I hate that more people don’t utilize the East Point Farmers Market. But I understand it can be a bit difficult, since the city hasn’t provided the vendors a set place to set up, often resulting in low turnout. I met some awesome people there, including Kaden, Champion Gardeners’ finance manager and garden manager, who became an instant friend while shopping. While I’m not sure how the process works, I wish more people knew that markets like these often offer those on food stamps double value.
7
August
Kroger
2685 Metropolitan Pkwy ↗
Distance traveled
1.3 mi
Total spent
$3.21
the haul
A single carton of Simple Truth Organic soy milk
Notes
I have a matcha latte almost every day, so soy milk is a staple in my house. This was just a quick pickup.
10
August
Whole Foods Market
650 Ponce de Leon Ave ↗
Distance traveled
8.5 mi
Total spent
$20.84
Notes
I honestly was craving a TTLA (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado) sandwich and already in the area, so I stopped in. I grabbed a couple of snacks for the house as well, like blue corn chips and pears.
13
August
Eat Right Atlanta ↗
1700 Clairmont Road, Decatur
Distance traveled
33.1 mi
Total spent
$30.00
the haul
Peaches, nectarines, plums, kiwis, cherries, okra, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, kale, and collard greens
Notes
The first time I encountered this co-op was on my way to a morning doctor’s appointment with my mother. They had set up outside of the hospital and had a crowd of people around them. After peeking over a few shoulders, I immediately understood why: For great prices, they had some of the freshest vegetables and fruit I’d seen in a while. My mother and I agreed to share a box just to try them out and support them. When I got home, I researched the co-op and was ecstatic to see that it was founded by a Black woman named Nicole Folkes-Johnson and her husband Donsha in 2011.
23
August
Super H Mart
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth ↗
Distance traveled
30.3 mi
Total spent
$44.45
the haul
Matcha, herbal teas, banana roll cake snack
Notes
I specifically go to stores and neighborhoods that reflect the demographics of the foods or items I’m looking for—all that to say, I went here to pick up some quality matcha, which alone costs me $25. I have no regrets about this expense though, since an 16-ounce matcha latte at a typical coffee shop usually costs me about $7.00 before tip.
3
SEPTEMBER
Eat Right Atlanta ↗
1700 Clairmont Road, Decatur
Distance traveled
33.1 mi
Total spent
$30.00
the haul
Two varieties of plums, collard greens, green beans, okra, sweet potatoes, strawberries, green squash, nectarines, and lemons
Notes
My mother and I found Eat Right Atlanta at the Atlanta VA Medical Center as a happy and fortunate surprise, as we needed veggies. They have great options, but my mother and I once again chose the “pick 10” bag of five vegetables and five fruits. We split this to ensure we don’t waste anything, even though sometimes it leaves us with more fruit than veggies.
5
september
Kroger
805 Glynn St S, Fayetteville ↗
Distance traveled
15.7 mi
Total spent
$132.62
the haul
Soy milk, ground turkey, golden potatoes, celery, two varieties of apples, lemons, grapefruit, butter, honeydew, pistachios, eggs, creamer, Ice Sparkling drinks, tomatoes, waffles, olive oil, spinach
Notes
I’ve never shopped at this Kroger before, but we drove here from my mother’s house and it was very pleasant. I’ve been spending more time at my mother’s house, so we needed a bigger haul to tide us over and supplement the veggies and fruits we picked up earlier that week. We’re both aiming to decrease the amount of meat we consume.
Editor: Christina Lee
Fact Checker: Christina Lee
Canopy Atlanta Reader: Mariann Martin
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