Salvation Army's First Grocery Store Opens In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Salvation Army's first ever grocery store is now open in northeast Baltimore to give the people who live in Remington and Abel more options.
"DMG Foods," is named after the organization's motto -- "Doing the most good."
At the corner of 29th and Barclay, innovation and hope are now fully stocked.
"It's just terrific. It's something that's really needed," one person said.
The Salvation Army says DMG Foods will provide fresh and affordable produce to 1,200 families in a "healthy food priority area," defined by the city as a location more than 1/4 of a mile away from other supermarkets.
If this first store is successful, Baltimore could serve as a model for additional Salvation Army low-income grocery stores nationwide.
"This serves as a beacon for the rest of this community. If we can do this here, we can do this in other parts of the city," said Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh.
It will also offer nutrition and cooking classes, value shopping tips and workforce training, the goal being to reduce health problems within the low-income community and help them save money by shopping smart.
"It's job training. It's really needed in this neighborhood, in every neighborhood," one shopper said.
Opening day hasn't come without setbacks. Right before Christmas, thieves broke in and ransacked the construction site. They stole copper pipes, two very expensive meat slicers, and much more.
"After that, people from the neighborhood, all over the neighborhood, come and knock on our door, and say, 'listen, we are sorry that that happened. We'll make sure that doesn't happen again,'" Major Gene Hogg of the Salvation Army said.
BGE is partnering with the Salvation Army to bring down the cost of monthly utilities at the store.
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