Prayer Walks and Liquor Stores

We had a great prayer walk around Temescal and MLK yesterday morning. Thanks to all of you who come out. We were certainly in a boundary neighborhood. Crossing underneath the freeway at 45th street, we left Michelin rated restaurants and came out right next to a liquor store. The economic and cultural shift was dramatic.

It reminded me of this article from Oakland North about one of the most significant disparities in our city - the ratio of grocery stores and the ratio of liquor stores.

One statistic: "In the flatlands, where the median household income is $32,000, there’s an average of one supermarket per 93,126 residents, according to a 2009 report by the Hope Collaborative, an Oakland-based organization focusing on environmental health and food policy issues. The same report found that in the Oakland Hills, where the median household income is over $58,000, there’s an average of one supermarket per 13,778 residents."

Near our Seminary location there are (or were) three liquor stores. One has been closed down and they are putting the property up for sale. They are installing an industrial kitchen. Anyone want to drop $500,000 and help us start a fresh bakery and grocery down there?