Stop and don't shop

You rely on your neighborhood supermarket to supply you with fruit, veggies, and other fresh items each week. You resort to cheap convenience stores on road trips or quick outings to satisfy a hunger pang until you get to your destination. But what if you had to rely on those convenience stores for purchasing your weekly stock-up, probably involving Cheetos, bottled soda, and a few packs of gum? Many in southern Los Angeles have no choice.

In some of the poorest parts of the city, supermarkets have closed and become deserted, and convenience stores have become all that's left of reliable grocery shopping. Sure, they can drive miles and miles to find a grocery store elsewhere, but for most who do not own cars in this urban area, it's a tough task. It's difficult to find space for large supermarkets, so corner grocers are the one-stop shops for everything you need, also known as everything on the junk food-stocked racks.

Theft and employee turnover were other concerns for recently-closed supermarkets in big cities. Without reliable security and a steady staff, it can be impossible to stay in business.

Fortunately, some citizens recognize this problem. Local students have worked with The California Endowment to revitalize the community and provide healthier options for consumers. As part of a convenience store makeover, chips and candy were removed from the front section of some stores and coolers were stocked with fruit and vegetables.

The moral of the story: be thankful for your large chain stores that give you so many choices, you spend hours of your busy schedule trying to choose. You could be forced to decide between snack-size bags of Cool Ranch of Smokin' Cheddar Doritos.