By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
The Enoch Pratt Free Library held a ribbon cutting on Sept. 25 for its Pratt Free Market at the Southeast Anchor Branch in Highlandtown.
The Pratt Free Market will hold various items such as produce, non-perishable items, snacks and other household necessities like laundry detergent.
Cut 2: The Free Pratt Market in Southeast Baltimore will provide produce, non-perishable items, snacks and more to community members.
PHOTO: (AFRO Photos/ Ariyana Griffin)
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott expressed the importance of libraries worldwide and especially the impact that the Pratt Free Library has directly on the Baltimore community.
“Pratt is always showing up for Baltimoreans no matter their circumstance, no matter what neighborhood they come from and no matter what brings them to the door,” Scott said. “This is yet another example of how the Pratt continues their long legacy of partnering with other groups looking to do good work in our communities to help meet a need wherever it may be.”
According to research by the Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative, “roughly one in five Baltimore-area respondents experiences hunger because they don’t always have enough money for food; two in five worry about running out of food.” The study also found that “half of Black respondents suffer from food insecurity compared to 15 percent of White respondents.”
The market will be open to all Baltimoreans as a way to help aid the food insecurity issue in the city.
“Across the nation, one in every eight people face hunger, and libraries are increasingly on the front lines assisting in this struggle,” Darcell Graham, interim CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, said in a statement. “We hope the Pratt Free Market will serve as a hub for food and nutrition-based programming for our community.”
The space will be more than a market; it will also serve as a place for community members to learn about food and nutrition. Dwayne Benbow, of Benbow Concession Services, said he is excited to curate programming for the community.
“We will be doing a substantial amount of meal planning so individuals will be able to come in, grab a meal out of the refrigerator and feed their family,” said Benbow. “I’m going to be in here showing them different creative ways to cook – I want to be able to cater to those individuals who may only have a microwave.”
Community members can utilize the free market every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each person will be allotted to fill one bag, which is supplied by the library. Every fourth Friday of the month, the market collaborates with the Maryland Food Bank and serves as a Pantry on the Go!, a free produce giveaway.
The Pratt Free Market will also receive food from accredited partners, including Plantation Park Heights, Leftover Love, Benbow Concession Services, Moon Valley Farms and Black Butterfly Farms.
The Pratt Free Market will officially open to the public on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m.. A free family day celebration will take place, complete with music, face painting, food demonstrations and more.
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