Free Grocery Store Opens Inside Prince George’s County Library

A free grocery store has opened inside the Fairmount Heights Branch Library in Prince George’s County, Maryland, marking the first Goodr location in the Washington, D.C. area and the company’s first permanent store inside a library. The Fairmount Five Market is a partnership between Prince George’s County and Goodr, an Atlanta-based nonprofit company that has launched 34 similar stores nationwide since 2021.

The store is designed to serve more than 200 families each month with free groceries including meat, dairy, produce, juices and other household staples. Goodr founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston said the goal is to create a shopping experience that preserves dignity and gives residents the ability to choose the food they need instead of receiving a prepacked box. She said families can come in, shop without questions, and leave with a reusable grocery bag to bring back on future visits.

Nearly 200 households were approved to shop when the market opened, and organizers said a waiting list has already formed. Residents were required to apply in advance, and accepted families receive notifications about when they can visit during the store’s scheduled operating times.

Local leaders say the market is intended to help address food insecurity in Fairmount Heights, a community considered a food desert. Prince George’s County Council member Shayla Adams-Stafford said many seniors in the area have struggled to afford grocery prices or have earned too much to qualify for traditional food assistance programs. She said the new market will allow them to shop closer to home and with more privacy and respect.

On opening day, the shelves included green peppers, apples, oranges, bananas and potatoes, along with other staples for families to choose from. The store is funded through a county grant that will be used to restock it weekly, according to organizers.

Prince George’s County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha said a second free grocery store is expected to open soon in District 7, expanding the county’s food access efforts. Maryland first lady Dawn Moore attended the opening on World Hunger Day and highlighted the state’s broader efforts to improve nutrition and food security through its “Food is Medicine” initiative. That program includes a Medically Tailored Meals effort launched this month and is expected to provide nearly 1 million meals to more than 3,000 Maryland residents.

Officials described the Fairmount Five Market as a model for combining public support, community access and a more respectful shopping experience for people facing food insecurity. The project is aimed especially at older residents and families who live far from traditional grocery stores and have limited access to affordable, healthy food.