Read and listen to a story about Deirdre Kane and Dora Walmsley as part of a series honoring the individuals who make a difference in people’s lives: 90.5 WESA Celebrates People Making a Difference.
Deirdre Kane lived in Galway, where big grocery stores were scarce.
It was quite a contrast when she moved back to Lawrenceville, and she realized that she was living in a food desert — a neighborhood without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food.
Dora Walmsley, who works at the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, moved to Lawrenceville eight years ago and felt the same frustration.
Five years ago, when both women met while volunteering at the Lawrenceville Community Gardens, they decided to team up to open a neighborhood market with fresh healthy food. They found an old abandoned building on 52nd street, and working around the clock after their day jobs, they opened the 52nd Street Market in March of this year.
