Food deserts aren't just in rural areas, one Appleton woman's journey to get to the store
Every two weeks Debra Boushley takes her seat on Valley Transit.
"There's no grocery stores here downtown. So I have to take (route) three or four," Boushley said.
In a place as hustling and bustling as downtown Appleton, there aren't any grocery stores around to get healthy, affordable food.
"Very frustrating," Boushley said.
Boushley has disabilities, so it's difficult and tiring to get to the store.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says downtown Appleton is a food desert.
"I get tired. And sometimes I don't want to go to grocery stores," Boushley said.
Debra has a seizure disorder, so she can't drive.
She's also battled cancer that has had lasting effects.
Jessica Vlach is a registered dietician at the Outagamie County Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Vlach says food deserts are all around us.
"We have a few of those areas in Outagamie County, specifically rural areas. So thinking the outskirts of Seymour, Hortonville, Dale," Vlach said.
But, as Boushley knows..
"Even in inner city Appleton, downtown Appleton, there can also be food deserts," Vlach said.
Vlach says the ADRC provides home meal delivery and meal sites in rural areas, as well as downtown Appleton to help ease the food deserts.
She also provides nutrition education and counseling.
"Navigating those waters of you're aging, how is your body changing? What nutrients do you need more of? As you age your appetite decreases, so how can we make sure you're getting enough calories?" Vlach said.
It's something Monica Clare, the executive director of St. Joe's Food Program, has seen too.
"I know that there are folks in the Fox Valley who have trouble getting to the pantry, either they're not on a bus line or for whatever reason," Clare said.
Even when people like Boushley can get to the store, it takes a physical toll.
There are no income requirements to utilize ADRC meal sites.
