San Francisco's Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Middle School is now home to a groundbreaking on-campus amenity: its free grocery store. The initiative, a partnership with Atlanta-based startup Goodr and retail giant Amazon, aims to address food insecurity and waste by providing students and their families with essential groceries and household items.
During a ceremony that marked the first of its kind on the West Coast, per an announcement on GoodrCo.’s Facebook page, spirits were high as community members gathered to witness the ribbon-cutting event at the Portola neighborhood school. Funding support for the enterprise has also included the YMCA of San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District, and the city's Department of Children, Youth and their Families.
According to NBC Bay Area, the store will serve all 400 MLK Jr. students and their families amid concerns that the free breakfast and lunch provided by the school weren't sufficiently offsetting hunger outside of school hours. Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe stressed the importance of this grocery store, saying, "It's not enough that we give our kids free breakfast and lunch at school if they go home and don't eat dinner".
The San Francisco Examiner detailed the store's intent to provide and actively improve learning outcomes in the area, historically known as a "food desert." Goodr founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston shared her connection to the project, reflecting on the significance of helping middle school students when they start to become more aware of their socioeconomic status.
Community leaders have also highlighted the importance of this store in reducing stress for families. Jamie Bruning-Miles, CEO and president of the YMCA of Greater San Francisco, explained the practicality of the store's location, stating, as per the San Francisco Examiner, "Families have to come to the schools, their kids are here." Meanwhile, Superintendent Matt Wayne commented on the district's role as a major food provider and claimed the grocery store as a meaningful way to extend support beyond the school day.
