BALTIMORE — Her hat suggests she’s living on a prayer.
“I’m 72-years-old and by the grace of God, I’m still here,” said Doriee Ford of West Baltimore, and today, her prayer has been answered.
“It’s really important to me, because I like my vegetables. I like my peanut butter… potatoes,” said Ford as she displayed some items inside a large bag.
German Park in Reservoir Hill more resembled an open marketplace as people stopped off at a free mobile pantry that helps them supplement their tight budgets.
“It does help,” said Faith Freeman, “Even the little things. Every little bit helps. Every little bit helps to save a couple of dollars here and there.”
Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program targets food deserts with fresh produce and products that otherwise might have been thrown away.
“When things get close to expiration, but not quite expiration and they need to turn around and rotate their stock, we pick that up daily and we make sure it gets used,” said Torbin Green, the executive director of the nearby St. Francis Neighborhood Center.
In three hours time, organizers say they will provide some 700 families with two completely-full bags of food apiece.
It is a charitable act that radiates throughout the community.
“Sometimes I pick up for some of my neighbors,” said Freeman, “Maybe seniors that can’t move around, and so I share it with other people.”
And it provides vital relief for people living on a prayer who face tough decisions living on a fixed income.
“And the gas bill is up, and I can’t afford to go and get food that I need,” added Ford.
