EUDORA, Ark. — Not only is Eudora still grappling with serious water issues, residents say the town is now facing a food desert after its only grocery store and restaurant closed.
“It’s impacting the whole town because, you know, if you want to cook something, you need stuff to be able to go by instead of going 18, 19 miles to do it,” said Leroy Terry, a local resident.
For many, simply getting groceries has become a challenge. Terry said many people in town don’t have cars, and with rising gas prices, even a short trip can be costly.
“It cost me $30 when I first started, now it costs me $50 to go back and forth,” he said.
Kim Lorett, another Eudora resident, said she is grateful that a Walmart about 20 miles away in Louisiana offers delivery, but added that it comes with extra costs, like delivery fees and tipping.
“We have essentially no food here. We have Dollar General, which offers frozen fast food, but that’s not enough to sustain a family or provide proper meals,” Lorett said.
She said even when the grocery store was open, options were limited and she often left empty-handed.
“Nine out of ten times you’d go in there to buy something and they wouldn’t have it,” Lorett said.
Despite the challenges, many in the community remain hopeful that relief will come.
“It would be nice if somebody could get some help in there, it would be nice,” Terry said.
Until then, residents are left traveling miles—or going without. Many still hold out hope that one day, Eudora will no longer be left without access to food.
Dining and Cooking