Posted July 5, 2022 at 5:37 PM PDT
Think of a wholesale store that is closest to your earth. If it closed, how would it affect you and your family? KPBS North County reporter Tania Thorne takes a look at how a Vons closing its doors in Vista can make it difficult for some to access fresh healthy food.
Many Vista residents rely on Vons located in Santa Fe Drive for their groceries. But stores closed on June 23 have now boarded up, and residents like Mark Day and Fredi Avalos have to travel farther for fresh food.
“Being able to have a wholesale store that is very close and accessible is always important to us and that’s why we feel the strong effects now have to run a decent way to get fresh food,” said Avalos.
The store was less than five minutes from their home. Now, commuting for groceries has tripled.
But Avalos says the closure of Vons is not surprising, because in the last few years shopping centers began to be unsafe.
“There were a few times where I would get out of my car and visit. I stopped going there completely at night. I haven’t been to the Vons night center at least in at least 5 years,” he said.
When asked about security concerns, Andrea McCullough, Vista City communications officer, responded with this statement: “The Vons Center property is owned by approximately 12 different property owners. Property owners are encouraged to contact the Vista Sheriff station on any issues and criminal activity.”
KPBS asked for an interview with Vons to ask about the reason for its closure. The company did not respond. But we talked to some Vons employees, who didn’t want to be recorded for fear of losing their jobs. Some consider stores closed because of increasing homelessness in the area, and store thieves are dealt with on a regular basis. Others said that it was because of the high cost to repair the store’s refrigerator system, and the store did not make a profit.
No matter the reason, the closure of Vons increased the number of empty stores in the shopping center.
Avalos thinks Vista’s city council has neglected this part of the city while making city improvements. “They’ve moved mountains to take in new shops and restaurants and breweries,” he said, “and it’s not necessarily bad but we can’t focus on one part of our community and redo another part. Community.”
Avalos said that she and her husband are lucky to have the ability to drive farther for groceries, but he knows that not everyone has that privilege.
“People don’t have money for Uber, people don’t have friends or family who can take them regularly to the grocery store. And when Vons is here, one of the saddest things that I’ll experience – and this is what I see everyday – is people The poor and their families are carrying foodstuffs. Sometimes in the hot sun, sometimes in the rain, “said Avalos. “Without Vons I don’t even know where they would get the groceries that they would bring home.”
Alexis White, seventy -six years old, does not have a car, but he does have a motor scooter. “I go in there, climb and bring stuff back,” he thought.
White lives in The Grove, a senior community across the street from Vons. She said many neighbors rely on the store, and said, “It creates difficulties for a lot of people. I never knew that I would miss.”
Since the closure of Vons, White has moved to WinCo in Oceanside, where he expects groceries to be reasonably priced. “I think WinCo is the cheapest store and it seems not too far … I can take a bus or train,” he said.
City councilor Corinna Contreras said food insecurity is a problem for many Vista residents and the loss of a grocery store makes the problem worse.
“That’s right, I’m just afraid that the quality of nutrition will go down because the most accessible is CVS or 7-11. You won’t get nutrition, the dietary needs for your kids to grow without health problems,” he said.
Contreras said the city council should discuss safety issues around the shopping center and how to allow nearby residents to eat fresh.
“We can’t survive from fast food, convenient food. We are human and we need real food to grow. And we need a safe place to be able to shop,” Contreras said. “You know, with Vons leaving it really gives me a lot of concern about what’s going to happen with that shopping center.”
He says the city has no information about what took Vons’ place because it is a private sale, a statement echoed in a statement from communications officer McCullough: “The city has no information about the sale of this property. It is not owned. Or managed by the City. The property is zoned. for Commercial, which means the property can be sold to a buyer that fits within the Commercial Zone requirements and the seller/buyer does not need approval from the City.They are not required to provide any .information to the City and have not yet done so, other than stating that they are in escrow. “
