Worcester’s Stop & Shop on Lincoln Street is one of eight of its stores closing in Massachusetts, and among 32 overall. Worcester Housing Authority says it will negatively affect its residents, who rely heavily on the market for groceries. District 1 Councilor Jenny Pacillo is trying to fight the closure
WORCESTER—Stop & Shop announced last week the next steps in its “plans to position the company for growth,” which in the short term means closing 32 of its stores; eight of those in Massachusetts. This includes one Worcester store: the Stop & Shop at 545 Lincoln St. The company said it will close these 32 “underperforming stores” on or before Nov. 2 of this year.
“Stop & Shop is proud of the deep roots and community ties we have developed as a neighborhood grocer of more than 100 years, and we remain committed to nourishing our associates, customers and communities,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, in a statement. “As we announced in May, Stop & Shop has evaluated its overall store portfolio and made the difficult decision to close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
The closing, according to the Worcester Housing Authority, will affect dozens of residents in the area who depend on the store and its easy access to it. “Disappointed” in the news, they said the store serves many low income and vulnerable residents in the area, including WHA families, especially because of its proximity to Great Brook Valley.
“Like many others, I was caught off guard by the news that Stop & Shop would be closing its doors for good,” WHA CEO Alex Corrales said in a statement to the press. “Many of our residents in the Great Brook Valley area rely on this location for their food shopping needs. It is convenient and easily accessible by bus or on foot for those who lack their own transportation. These are mostly low-income residents with children, and losing this particular supermarket will absolutely have a negative impact on them.”
The housing authority frequently distributes Stop & Shop gift cards to Great Brook Valley residents and the Curtis Apartments, both minutes away from the supermarket. Aldi Supermarket, across from the Stop & Shop plaza, is widely considered a lower-cost alternative to some supermarkets.
“We appreciate stores like Aldi, which we hope will continue to serve not just our residents in Great Brook Valley, but also those in Lincoln Village and nearby neighborhoods,” Corrales said. “Food insecurity is real, and anytime you lose access to good quality food, particularly in a low income, urban setting, it is discouraging.”
Regardless of other options such as Aldi, the WHA maintains that Stop & Shop’s closure will have a profound effect on this segment of the population.
The WHA added that the agency appreciates an effort by District 1 City Councilor Jennifer Pacillo, who is trying to prevent the closure, and “remains committed to addressing food insecurity among its residents through innovative programs such as Food Matters and others.”
In fact, Pacillo, representing Great Brook Valley Gardens and Curtis Apartments, has put forth a proposal for City Manager Eric Batista to engage with Stop & Shop to prevent the store’s closure, which she plans to bring up at Worcester City Council’s meeting on July 16.
Meanwhile, the Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) continues its efforts to combat food insecurity with various initiatives. One notable program is Food Matters, a partnership with Renaissance Medical Group (RMG), which delivers shelf-stable meals to residents’ doorsteps, originally started during the COVID pandemic. Additionally, WHA’s food program includes a food pantry bag delivery service, community gardens, an emergency food pantry bag service, onsite farmers markets, transportation to Walmart, and the recent introduction of a free community fridge program at Murray and Wellington Apartments.
“Here in the Resident Service Department at the WHA we work hard to make sure our residents have access to necessities such as food,” Corrales said in an announcement. “So many residents don’t have reliable transportation, including many of our more than 800 low-income families in Great Brook Valley and Curtis Apartments, making quality grocery stores in the neighborhood essential for food access. With bag limits on city buses and young children to fee, families will be left to take costly transportation across the city for groceries and other essentials.”
The Worcester Guardian reached out to Pacillo for comment, but had not received a response by publishing time. This story will be updated with any additional info or comments.
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