Last week, the Eagle checked with Chicora residents to see how they were affected by the closure of the borough’s only grocery store — Friedman’s Freshmarket — two years ago.

Needless to say, most residents expressed similar feelings: Frustration and inconvenience.

Coupled with the shuttering last summer of Evans City’s Viola’s Market, the closing of the Friedman’s stores — in Butler city, Butler Township, Chicora and Saxonburg — is further pushing the county toward becoming a food desert.

Chicora residents said the lack of a grocery store in the vicinity is making it difficult for senior citizens to get their hands on fresh produce and meat.

For many of them, making the trek to Butler isn’t easy and, as a result, they aren’t eating as healthily. And there’s little hope that a new grocery store will open at the former Friedman’s site.

A local gas station and convenience store has explored options to provide fresh food — including a small produce selection — since many seniors in the area now rely on dollar stores for groceries.

But while that store’s efforts appear to be appreciated by residents, it’s merely a Band- Aid for a much larger problem.

As one 93-year-old resident told the Eagle: “It’s terrible. You’ve got to run all over the county to find a grocery store.” We agree the situation for many residents, especially seniors, is unfair.

The good news for Saxonburg residents is its former Friedman’s site is being actively developed for a new grocery store. But other communities are still without a viable option for groceries with no resolution in sight.

We’ve previously on this page advocated for towns to attempt to lure seasonal farmers markets or other food purveyors to use empty buildings on weekends in the winter, and suggested the county’s Community Development Corporation explore tax breaks or other enticements for grocery chains to open new stores in food deserts.

One of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators — Pat Toomey — made a positive step toward addressing hunger in our communities this week by joining Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in introducing a food bank bill that would increase the stock at Pittsburgh’s food bank and, as a result, trickle down to county pantries.

The legislation also includes regulations clarifying the quality standards of donated food.

While it’s great news that action is being taken at the federal level to help people who can’t afford food, it’s discouraging that many of our county’s seniors who can afford it have nowhere nearby to obtain it.

We anxiously anticipate the Saxonburg Friedman’s site being developed for a new grocery store, and hope other food desert communities soon get the same opportunity.