The Fairmount Five Market: A Step Toward Limiting Food Insecurity in Greater Capitol Heights

Greater Capitol Heights has needed a grocery store that can stop the limited food access that many of our communities face daily. Recently, Prince George’s County and Atlanta-based company Goodr aimed to address that with a solution.

The Fairmount Five Market is a free grocery store operating inside the Fairmount Heights Branch Library in Prince George’s County. Opening on World Hunger Day, the grocery store is predicted to serve over 200 families each month, with 175 receiving fresh groceries every week.

GCHIC has consistently advocated to end food deserts in the Greater Capitol Heights region and pinpointed the importance of development and inclusion of grocery stores in development opportunities.

The Problem: What Is a Food Desert and Why Does It Matter Here?

A food desert is an older term of art for what the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service now calls "low-income/low-access” (LILA) areas — communities where incomes trail behind the regional median and residents lack convenient access to affordable, nutritious food. Fairmount Heights is one of several areas in Greater Capitol Heights that qualifies as a LILA area.

For many families in our area, a trip to buy fresh produce, meat, or dairy requires a great deal of effort and resources, whether that is a car, transit fare, or a long walk to a store, oftentimes to receive less than they bargained for.

Living in such an environment has tangible consequences, including higher rates of diet-related illness, greater food insecurity among seniors and families with young children, and higher grocery costs due to a lack of competition. And these don’t happen in isolation. Issues only compound with time; factors such as economic disruption, inflation, and job losses have pushed many working families and seniors into food insecurity for the first time, with many finding it difficult to turn to their communities for support.

The Solution: A Real Grocery Store — Not a Food Bank

What makes the Fairmount Five Market significant is not only what it provides, but how it provides it. The market functions as a real grocery store, offering a full comprehensive experience. Residents must apply in advance to shop at the market, and nearly 200 households have already been accepted.

The Bigger Picture: State Investment & What Comes Next

The Fairmount Five Market didn't open in a vacuum. It represents a convergence of county initiative and growing state investment in food access across Maryland. Under Maryland's "Food is Medicine" initiative, the state is aiming to provide nearly one million meals to more than 3,000 Marylanders — reaching residents whose health conditions make access to appropriate nutrition vital for survival and historically difficult to come by. But is it enough?

Despite the lofty goals of the government, residents of Prince George’s county are struggling to feed themselves on a regular basis. Though Prince George's County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha has confirmed that a second free grocery store will open in District 7 in the coming weeks, that is still neglecting a large portion of the community seeking access to a diversity of food shopping options.

For the Greater Capitol Heights community, this is a moment to pay attention to — and to engage with. There is still more work to be done across the region. Our communities not only deserve a variety of options in their grocery shopping experiences, they also deserve the ability to buy items that fit within their budgets. Greater infrastructure to be able to apply for and receive SNAP and WIC benefits can ensure greater food access not just at the Five Market but beyond.

GCHIC will continue to advocate for greater food access and support for our neighbors in accessing it. We will also continue to press our elected officials to address the root conditions that make such stores necessary in the first place.

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