In most grocery stores you go into these days, shoppers are highly frustrated by dramatically increasing prices; so it’s good to know that, at one new Greensboro grocery store, everything is always free.
BackPack Beginnings is a Greensboro-based non-profit with a mission to “deliver child-centric services to feed, comfort and clothe children in need in Guilford County.” The organization is holding “The Gift of Choice” Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its new location – 3711 Alliance Drive in Greensboro.
The event is being held largely to allow BackPack Beginnings to highlight its new Family Market shopping experience that helps get food in the hands and stomachs of those who need it the most.
Since 2010, BackPack Beginnings has been focused on addressing food insecurity in the community. It has, in that time, given out more than 2 million pounds of food to children and families in need. The group’s offerings include food programs, backpack programs, a personal care pantry, infant feeding resources, a diaper program, a clothing pantry, a book beginnings program, a snack pantry, a family market and other services.
In the new space, BackPack Beginnings has added new offerings to its programming including baby accessories, baby equipment, frozen products and household goods.
The December 6 open house will include coffee from Core Coffee Shop as well as snacks from Food Lion. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and show visitors around the new space.
The organization’s additional space allowed it to open a new Family Market that’s already served 1,725 people from over 400 families since it opened a few months ago.
The new space – at 29,000 square feet – is triple the size of the space at the organization’s previous location. It, therefore, allows BackPack Beginnings to help out more children and families in need.
Parker White, the non-profit’s founder, said this week that the open house will be a good chance for area residents to come out and get a glimpse of the work the group is doing.
“Our organization has grown leaps and bounds over the past year and we want to share those changes with our community,” White said. “Primarily, we want to highlight our new Family Market.”
He described the Family Market as “a dignity of choice, ‘one-stop’ shopping experience where parents and children select their basic needs at no cost in a retail- like, welcoming environment.”
“We encourage the public to come see our new location, learn more about our programs and see how they can get involved,” White said.
Great job!!
How do you qualify? The way things are going now, more and more people will need food almost on a daily basis.
However, “there is no free lunch”. Where does this food come from?