Professor Bobby J. Smith II was featured on the Peoria (25News Now) newscast on July 30, 2025. The topic of food insecurity is an ongoing issue, relevant to much of society—but exceptionally pervasive in disenfranchised communities. Peoria (25News Now) sheds light on the decrease of food access in Peoria, IL.
"On July 23, another grocery chain shut its doors in Peoria, leaving residents with fewer options for fresh produce.
For some neighborhoods, filling the gap isn’t anything new.
The vacant building at 2321 N Wisconsin Ave. used to be a grocery store serving thousands of South Peoria families. Today, it serves as a symbol of the ongoing decline in food access.
Peoria has lost three Kroger stores since 2018 – one in the East Bluff, South Side, and now the latest on Sterling Avenue.
“The way we begin to address it is understanding what communities need, first and then, how do we work to provide that, given that we are dealing with long-term systemic issues that predate most of us who are living now?” -said Smith."