CHICAGO — My Block, My Hood, My City will give away free meals to neighbors Sunday in response to Walmart closing three South Side stores.
Walmart announced this week it will close stores in Chatham, Kenwood, Little Village and Lakeview, saying they were unprofitable. The news came despite the company having fought for years to open in Chicago and officials promising to be a good neighbor. The stores will close after Sunday.
Neighbors have said they were stunned by the announcement and are worried about losing access to affordable food, prescriptions and necessities.
My Block, My Hood, My City organized its giveaway, called the Feed the People Rally, to help neighbors who might struggle in the aftermath.
The giveaway is noon-2 p.m. Sunday at the Chatham Walmart parking lot, 8431 S. Stewart Ave. There will be 1,000 free meals.
“So hard to hear about another big business pulling out of Chicago, especially one that provides groceries,” said Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City. “These choices make it feel impossible to thrive, especially for our young and elderly. Chatham is close to home for me, and I hate seeing our people hurting. We can’t leave folks behind.”
South Side leaders have spoken out against the planned closures and demanded Walmart meet with them. They’ve threatened to boycott the company, which will still have four Chicago locations.
“My Block, My Hood, My City is going to take a stand collectively and show we are united in advocating for those who too often go unheard,” Cole said.
The stores that are closing:
- Chatham Supercenter, the Walmart Health Center and the Walmart Academy, 8431 S. Stewart Ave.
- Kenwood Neighborhood Market, 4720 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
- Lakeview Neighborhood Market, 2844 N. Broadway
- Little Village Neighborhood Market, 2551 W. Cermak Road
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