More than 50 people stood outside the Enoch Pratt Library\u2019s Southeast Anchor branch on a recent spring morning in Baltimore. Parents with small children, teenagers, and senior citizens clustered outside the door and waited to hear their ticket numbers called.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
They weren\u2019t there for books\u2014at least, not at that moment. They came to shop for groceries.<\/p>\n
Connected to the library, the brightly painted market space is small but doesn\u2019t feel cramped. Massive windows drench it in sunshine. In a previous life, it was a caf\u00e9. Now, shelves, tables, counters, and a refrigerator are spread out across the room, holding a mix of produce and shelf-stable goods.<\/p>\n
Every fourth Friday, Pratt Free Market turns into \u201cPantry on the Go!\u201d, a farmers\u2019 market-style setup outside the library that offers fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
That day, as staff and volunteers took their stations, shoppers walked in and filled their bags with what was in stock. On any given day, there\u2019s a range of produce, like collard greens, apples, onions, radishes, potatoes, and cherry tomatoes, plus eggs, orange juice, rice, bread, and treats like cookies and peanut butter crackers. As they exited, shoppers did not need to pull out their wallets: No one pays at Pratt Free Market<\/a>.<\/p>\n Launched<\/a> in the fall of 2024, Pratt Free Market opens its doors every Wednesday and Friday and serves around 200 people per day. Anyone can pick up food at the store without providing identification or meeting income requirements. The library-based free grocery store was pitched by M\u2019balu \u201cLu\u201d Bangura when she started her role as Enoch Pratt Library\u2019s chief of equity and fair practices. The idea stemmed from the food insecurity she saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing people hungry just never sat right with me,\u201d said Bangura. \u201cPeople shouldn\u2019t have to stress about this.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration\u2019s rampant cuts across government agencies have heightened concerns about the future of food security in the U.S. In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cancelled<\/a> two local food programs that connected small farms to food banks and schools.<\/p>\n Republican lawmakers have also proposed significant cuts<\/a> to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a critical resource that helps low-income consumers purchase food. Economists also say that President Trump\u2019s recent tariff policy on major agricultural trade partners<\/a> will only cause the cost of food to rise\u2014during a time when food prices were already projected<\/a> to increase.<\/p>\n The combination of slapping tariffs on food trade partners and cutting aid programs seems like a perfect way to exacerbate an ongoing hunger problem in the U.S. In 2023<\/a>, one in seven households faced food insecurity at some point in the year. For Baltimore residents, 28 percent<\/a> reported experiencing food insecurity last year\u2014twice the national average. Bangura described a time when a group of nurses came to Pratt Free Market on their lunch break, looking to pick up some food. She says that other working people have done the same.<\/p>\n On a recent Friday, the Pratt Free Market was stocked with radishes, apples, onions, eggs, salad mix, and other grocery items. (Photo credit: Sam Delgado)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Free grocery stores, like food pantries and community fridges, offer food at no cost to community members. But unlike other food charity models, free grocery stores often put more emphasis on the physical environment and service.<\/p>\n Just like regular markets, these dedicated spaces are bright, open, and filled with shelves and fridges holding a mix of food and household items, and customers choose what they want. A traditional food pantry may not have an appealing atmosphere, and community refrigerators have limited space and choices. By simulating the grocery store shopping experience, the free stores offer more than just food; they create space for dignity, too.<\/p>\n Pratt Free Market isn\u2019t alone in this model<\/a>. While some free grocery stores\u2014like Unity Shoppe<\/a> in Santa Barbara and World Harvest<\/a> in Los Angeles\u2014have been around for a while, others have popped up in recent years, including The Store<\/a> in Nashville, Today\u2019s Harvest<\/a> just outside Minneapolis, the UMMA Center\u2019s<\/a> Harvest Market<\/a> in Chicago, and San Francisco\u2019s District 10 Community Market<\/a> and Friday Farm Fresh Market<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"radishes](\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-11-at-6.03.54\u202fPM.png\")
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