A public-private partnership has resulted in a new initiative DeKalb County educators and civic leaders hope will benefit students and families grappling with food insecurity.
Officials on Friday celebrated the opening of The Lion’s Den Grocery Store, the first free grocery store within the DeKalb County School District. The store is in Martin Luther King Jr. High School. It will provide students and their families access to fresh groceries throughout the school year in what officials said will be “an environment built on dignity and respect.”
The city of Stonecrest and Goodr, a nonprofit that works to provide quality food to local communities, are involved in the effort.
Officials said 41% of Black households in DeKalb struggle to afford necessities. They hope the store will be a model for schools nationwide to address hunger in their communities. Several schools in metro Atlanta, in some cases organized by students, have created spaces in recent years on campuses for students to access food, clothing or items at low or no cost.
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