HOPEWELL, Va. (WWBT) – A once popular Save-a-Lot grocery store in Cavalier Square is now vacant.
“They’ve ultimately been a partner. We really liked Save-a-Lot, we really are sorry to see them go,” said Donna Martin, the executive director for Hopewell Food Pantry.
Save-a-Lot Supermarket in Cavalier Square closes.(WWBT)
The pantry has been feeding members in the community since 1983 feeding around 650 families a month and 23,000 people a year.
“A lot of them come every month,” Martin said.
Over the past few years, Martin said the demand has only grown.
Hopewell Food Pantry(WWBT)
“We see a lot of elderly that are living only on social security. We see moms that are staying at home or people that are unemployed,” she said. “We see people drive up in fancy cars. We don’t know what’s that about, but I guess they have their problems too.”
Martin said that they used to partner with the supermarket often to stock their shelves.
However, over the past few years that partnership dwindled as the grocer began raising their prices.
The store closed it’s doors in April.
“With their closure, it’s created more of an emphasis on a food desert. And with that, comes a lot of problems with people’s health, because they are now eating off the local convenient store and that just brings about a whole lot of issues,” Martin said.
There’s two other grocery stores in the city.
However, Martin said that for some in the community, walking is their main means of transportation or ride shares, but those can get pricey.
Hopewell Food Pantry(WWBT)
“It could possibly impact us. People that used to be able to walk to Save-a-Lot will probably start walking to get food from us instead.”
Martin said the pantry sees an influx of food donations during the holidays, but drops off soon after.
Anyone that is able is urged to donate money so they can continue to serve the community.
“A lot of times it just goes away and that does leave us in limbo on some of our shelves and forces us to spend where we could at least keep our doors open if we had that extra cash to pay the rent or the electric bill,” Martin said.
If you’re interested in donating, click here.
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