The First Reported 100% Free Full-Service Grocery Store In Maryland Has Opened Inside A Baltimore Library To Help Combat Food Insecurity

A grocery store considering its community first has opened in Baltimore, MD.

The Baltimore community will now be able to shop at the Pratt Free Market, which will operate as a full-service grocery store following a ribbon-cutting ceremony held by the city’s Enoch Pratt Free Library. The market is inside the library’s Southeast Anchor location in the Highlandtown neighborhood.

M’Balu “Lu” Bangura, chief of equity and fair practices at the Enoch Pratt Library, shared on Instagram that no income verification or ID will be required at the grocery store, and all items will be available for free to those living in a state where one-third of the population experiences food insecurity. Per WBAL-11 TV, customers will be able to stock one library-supplied bag each day.

“Just come as you are and fill a bag with groceries at NO COST,” Bangura wrote on Instagram. “This market is for the City. All are welcome…I dreamt of this almost 2 years ago, I’m so proud to cut the ribbon on the first 100% free full service grocery store in the state. My dream is that other cities and libraries across the country with demographics similar to Baltimore will join us in the fight to combat food insecurity in our inner cities and build their own free grocery stores.”

Furthermore, Pratt Free Market is made possible through the support of community organizations, food banks, urban farms, and nearby grocery stores who are supplying fresh produce, canned goods, and household items, among others. Listed partners include Plantation Park Heights, Leftover Love, Benbow Concession Services, Moon Valley Farms, Black Butterfly Farms, and the Maryland Food Bank.

“At the Maryland Food Bank, we firmly believe that access to nutritious, desirable and culturally inclusive food is a fundamental human right,” Sarah Kennedy with the Maryland Food Bank explained, according to WBAL-11 . “We stand alongside the Pratt Free Market, which is committed to turning this belief into reality for more residents across Baltimore City.”

Pratt Free Market’s hours and days of operation are Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The post The First Reported 100% Free Full-Service Grocery Store In Maryland Has Opened Inside A Baltimore Library To Help Combat Food Insecurity appeared first on AfroTech .

The post The First Reported 100% Free Full-Service Grocery Store In Maryland Has Opened Inside A Baltimore Library To Help Combat Food Insecurity appeared first on AfroTech .