Milwaukee grocery store offers fresh produce in 'food desert'

For Milwaukee families living in so-called "food deserts," access to fresh fruit and vegetables includes a bus ride, long walk, or lengthy car ride. One Milwaukee store is now working for change.

MILWAUKEE - For Milwaukee families living in so-called "food deserts," access to fresh fruit and vegetables includes a bus ride, long walk, or lengthy car ride. One Milwaukee store is now working for change.

"We want healthy eating, starting young, very young," said Moe Wince, owner of Sherman Park Grocery.

Inside Sherman Park Grocery on Sherman and Fond du Lac in Milwaukee, Wince has a goal.

"Overall, it is literally to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to an area in which has an absence to access to fresh fruits and vegetables," Wince said.

Moe Wince

Wince said his store is in a food desert – with no other nearby grocery stores.

"Two miles, and or, 10-15 minutes away from this location here," Wince said.

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There was a grand opening on Friday, July 15. But the official opening happens after final inspections from the city.

Sherman Park Grocery

"This week is our week to dot our Is and cross our Ts. We’re hoping downtown city folks give us green light go," Wince said.

"It is so hard to find healthy options," said Jeanie Carr, who plans to stop at Sherman Park Grocery for her restaurant. "I own a soul food restaurant and I plan on getting my collard green from him."

"To have something like this in the neighborhood is truly important," said Lafayette Crump, Milwaukee's Commissioner of City Development.

Crump said the project received roughly $50,000 through the city's food access fund.

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"Sometimes you need to provide a push. That extra hump for these projects to get over the finish line," Crump said.

"When you bring fresh fruits and vegetables to a food insecurity, or food desert area, you’re combating multiple things. Cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease," Wince said. "We always talk about the hood. My wife and I want to put neighbor back into the hood. The neighboring, community, building community."

Moe Wince's wife is a co-owner in this project. They also plan to open a deli inside the grocery store – named after Moe Wince's mother.