Kitchen Report

NPR will have a report on “All Things Considered” on April 26 about a Baltimore library partnering with a local grocery to help its resident neighbors have access to fresh food. Patrons can place and pay for orders online and then stop by the library the next day to pick up their orders. This could literally be a lifesaver for those families without easy access to supermarkets who settle for the paltry offerings at the local convenience store for sustenance. But beyond that, cooking leads to more people around the dinner table which strengthens family and community ties – a form of “communion” that we all need.

Three cheers for this innovative approach to the problem of “food deserts”! With libraries on the chopping block in my neighborhood and across the country, a new purpose to improve the lives of its patrons seems like a win-win-win for all involved.