Goodr Opens Another Free Grocery Store For Students At Metro Atlanta High School

Martin Luther King Jr. High School will host Dekalb County's first free grocery.

Goodr, a nonprofit focused on hunger relief and food sustainability, has opened a free grocery store for students and families at a Metro Atlanta High School.

Martin Luther King Jr. High School is now home to the first free grocery in Dekalb County. With 1,400 students enrolled, quite a few have seen the impacts of food insecurity at home.

“It’s actually a really sad thing to see,” shared an 11th Grader, Alex Pandy, to WSB-TV.

Known as the “Lion’s Den Grocery,” after the school’s mascot, the store will serve between 25 to 50 families. According to school administrators, they aim to grow that number in due time.

The store will not only stock packaged or canned goods typically found in a food pantry, but also fresh produce and meats for other meal options. The school and Goodr hosted an official grand opening for the Lion’s Den on the final day of Black History Month.

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“Atlanta is more than just our hometown—it’s the heart of our mission,” wrote Goodr in the caption. ” Expanding our reach to more students and families in school districts across the city is at the core of everything we do. As Dr. King once said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.'”

The caption added “Today, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and all of our Black history heroes by ensuring that no child has to struggle with hunger in yet another school. The Lion’s Den Grocery Store is officially open for business! #DoGoodr“

The idea came into fruition through a partnership with the local city of Stonecrest and Goodr.

They work with families to address these food-related needs and source the items, eliminating the financial stress of the typical grocery store. The city’s mayor, Jazzmin Cobble, believes that the partnership will allow students to focus on school.

“One thing we wanted to do to support our students was make sure the distractions in the classrooms are alleviated, one of which is hunger,” shared the city official.

Pandy also believes this store “bridges the gap” for students with academic potential that are suffering from food insecurity.

“They don’t have to worry about that anymore. It’s not a distraction, like, ‘Hey, I don’t know what I’m gonna eat tonight, or where,’” explained the student. “This bridges that gap.”

Students will be able to stock up on essential breakfast snacks, from granola bars to toaster strudel, as well as frozen meals like hot pocket sandwiches and chicken pot pies. The store also has premium options such as almond milk and impossible chicken nuggets, a plant-based alternative to the protein.