DENVER -- In the blistering heat Angela Hawkins is out harvesting in the community garden.
“My children are autistic. Having autistic children, you have to really think about what you’re putting into their bodies” said Angel Hawkins, a Montbello resident.
Hawkins spends countless hours gardening because she says the options of fresh food in her Montbello neighborhood are limited.
“We need another grocery store option,” said Hawkins.
She says the Walmart neighborhood store nearby is not a full-service grocery store, and anywhere else is a hike.
"I drive sometimes 10 miles or 15 miles” said Hawkins.
A spokesperson with the Denver Office of Economic Development says bringing major grocery chains to the Montbello area has not been easy -- despite the apparent food gap.
Angelle Fourther, with Live Well Colorado, says there is a dire need. “It's been challenging and frustrating.
"We are the largest community, the largest neighborhood in Denver, with 34,000+ residents, and we are a food desert,” said Fourther.
Fourther says they've secured grants to build Montbello’s own fresh food market.