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North Austin Store Gives To Crime Ridden Neighborhood

Updated: Thursday, October 18 2012, 05:38 PM CDT
You might say a north Austin neighborhood is fighting for a sense of normalcy.

Reports of crimes like murder, assault and theft in the Rundberg area have risen by a third in ten years.

Now a local store hopes setting up shop in the neighborhood will help bring those numbers down.

Mr. Natural opened at 205 E Rundberg in April. This is the third store in Austin.

Owner Maria Luisa Mendoza says they offer alternative herbal medicine. She says she opens the stores in less fortunate communities to give people who don't have health insurance a choice.

Her store on Cesar Chavez in east Austin has seen a lot of success. It has been open for nearly two decades. In that time, Mendoza says she has seen the neighborhood turn around.

By offering natural products and encouraging the community to come together, Mendoza has high hopes for the Rundberg area.

By Christie PostNorth Austin Store Gives To Crime Ridden Neighborhood