New pantry in Dolton fights food insecurity
Goal is to offer groceries ‘people would normally bypass because they couldn’t afford it’
This isn’t your typical basement food pantry.
Rather than a collection of pantry discards and leftover canned goods, Free N Deed Market in Dolton is packed with food that is nutritious and appealing.
“The goal was to be able to offer things people would normally bypass in the store because they couldn’t afford it,” said Nicole Scott, founder of the pantry at 14200 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
The pantry offers tilapia, shrimp, pork chops, ground turkey, collard greens, mangos and other fresh produce, milk, butter, orange juice, eggs and even vegetarian fare. There are also microwaveable dinners, beef hot dogs and canned goods, including low sodium spinach. Starbucks cold brew, power drinks and vitamin water are also available, as are health and beauty aids, toothpaste, body
wash, detergents, light bulbs and paper towels.
But food and home goods aren’t the only staple at Free N Deed. There will also be nutrition education, financial literacy workshops and possibly small cooking demonstrations, Scott
said. The 2,600 sq. ft. space has a waiting/classroom area along with the pantry area equipped with refrigerators, coolers and freezer units.
The pantry, which opened Sept. 28, is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.
Scott, founder of the American Association of Single Parents, said the pantry isn’t just for single parents but any resident in need.
“For me, I don’t want to see anybody hungry,” she said. “This organization was founded to aid the custodial single parent; however, wherever we have our programming, the entire community benefits and we end up helping single parents.
“So it doesn’t take away from our mission, our goals, because the majority of people who come are single parents.”
Scott has been there herself, one of the reasons she started the pantry. She was a single mom who frequented food pantries, even though she had a college education and job.
“I still wasn’t earning enough to maintain all the meals,” she said. “I had to figure out ways to cut corners because it was so costly to grocery shop. So we
would go to the food pantry to kind of supplement.”
Because even a full-time job doesn’t always cover daily living costs, Free N Deed doesn’t require proof of income, though right now it’s limited to Dolton residents. Scott said she wouldn’t turn away nonresidents on a first visit, but she would give them the name of resources in their own community to use the next time.
“Free N Deed and AASP have truly been a blessing and tremendous help to my family,” said Chadana Myatt, who was at the pantry’s opening event. “The founder, Ms. Nicole, is amazing and a gift from God. She always greets you with a warm and welcoming smile.”
The new pantry partners with several organizations, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which offered an equity grant. Scott also uses 360 Connect to connect her nonprofit with major retailers like Amazon and Walmart for products at a lower cost.
“The Free N Deed Market … is an oasis in a community that has coped with the burden of food insecurity,” said Nicole
Robinson, chief partnership and programs officer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “Nicole Scott transformed a storefront into a free food market where individuals and families can shop with joy and dignity for fresh produce, dairy products and more.”