We opened Greater Goods, a free choice grocery store for our neighbors in need in August 2022 at the corner of Kensington and Allegheny, in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.This is one of the poorest zip codes in one of the poorest big cities in the country.
Our goal is to bridge the gap that exists after SNAP benefits have been exhausted.
We currently serve approximately 600 people per week and have an overall client base of close to 4,000 unique individuals.
The grocery store is a low-barrier option to acquiring free, healthy food for families to cook. We offer meat, poultry, dairy, shelf-stable items, as well as feminine hygiene products and diapers, and other household items such as cleaning supplies.
We require photo identification for the first visit.
The store operates on a point system. Each client gets 20 poker chips which are valued at one point each. Items vary in "price" such as meat for 4 points, milk for 3 points, eggs for 5 points, etc. Produce is zero points so that people will be encouraged to try new vegetables,
We also have a kids section where children have child-sized shopiing carts and their own aisle of healthy snacks. Thet also have a "No Adults Allowed!" refrigerator with items such as milk, cheese, fruit, applesauce, yogurt, etc. We feel that fostering their independence to choose nutritious foods will leave a lasting impact on them as they grow.
We are open 5 days per week and facilitate children's events on the 6th day. We offer one day of shopping specifically for kids and one day for senior citizens.