One in seven people in Prince George’s County is food insecure.
This week, the county is ramping up its efforts to make sure that families and children are not going hungry. Now that schools are getting ready to let out for the summer months, libraries are sharing their space to include books and food. County officials say up to 100 free grocery bags will be available each week during this month and the whole month of June.
Working with the libraries, county health officials are launching this new program called “Community Health Worker in the Library."
Public health workers will also be available to answer questions and will be handing out KN95 masks and COVID-19 rapid test kits.
“Health equity is one of the most important priorities in public health today and is a top priority for the Health Department,” said Dr. Ernest Carter, Prince George’s County Health Officer. “This great partnership with our County library system is just another way that we are shifting the narrative, focusing on systems and social structures, and amplifying the significance of community health workers in improving health outcomes for Prince Georgians.”
Grocery distributions will take place one to two days per week, at select branch libraries. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Face masks are required for all visitors in PGCMLS buildings (ages 2 and up).
Distribution schedule:
Hyattsville:
- Tuesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursdays 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Largo-Kettering -- Will only host distributions in May:
- Tuesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
New Carrollton:
- Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursdays 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Spauldings:
- Tuesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursdays 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Upper Marlboro:
- Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursdays 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The Library has a long history of mobilizing to support health and food security initiatives, including COVID-19 vaccine clinics and test kit distribution, summer meals for K-12 students, promoting health care enrollment, and hosting essential resource distributions,” said PGCMLS CEO Roberta Phillips. “Our team is grateful for the opportunity to continue this work with the Prince George’s County Health Department, in keeping with the Library’s ‘healthy living’ strategic focus area.”
Also, the county will officially open its second fridge in Prince George’s County Tuesday morning. Feed the Fridge places refrigerators at recreation centers, schools, and other locations throughout D.C., Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, then pays local restaurants to stock them daily with delicious and nutritious meals. Anyone can come up and grab a meal, no questions asked. Every day the refrigerators will be supplied and restocked the following day.
“I’m very grateful to Adventist HealthCare and the M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County for their support and assistance,” said Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare Restaurant Group and founder of Feed the Fridge/We Care, Inc. “Thanks to the generous funding provided by Adventist HealthCare, and the willingness of the Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County to make the Glassmanor Community Center available as a location for this fridge, we will be turning food insecurity into meal security for hungry Oxon Hill kids, families and seniors.”