Barb Food Mart is a not-for-profit tax exempt organization founded in 2013 to help alleviate food insecurity for children and families in the DeKalb School District 428. More than 60% of the students in the district qualify for free and reduced meals.  We operate as a dignity based food security resource offering online ordering to 200 families each week, as well as limited indoor shopping for families who cannot order ahead.  We also collaborate with community partners to increase access to essential wrap around services that can address the root causes of poverty. 

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In 2021 we opened our first satellite food pantry serving DeKalb Highschool students, and in 2022 we opened our second satellite at Malta Elementary.  Both satellite sites are funded and operated through Barb Food Mart and coordinated by DeKalb School district staff volunteers. 

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We welcome feedback and collaborate with the community that we serve to drive innovation.  We value efficiency and have created a model that allows families to pick up food that they choose with an incredibly quick turn around time.  For many families in our drive thru line they are able to be in and out in under five minutes. 

 

We embrace change and examine our practices for implicit bias and strive to remain culturally responsive in the food that we source and the ways that we interact with families.   We value language diversity and work to have Spanish and English speaking volunteers at every point of contact for families.  Please contact us to learn more about how you can join our mission and support our work!