Washington D.C., Dec 28, 2018 / 18:00 pm
Northeast Washington, D.C., has seen rapid gentrification over the past decade. What was once a very poor neighborhood is now home to many high-end businesses, including a Whole Foods Market--and an innovative food pantry inspired in part by the upscale grocery store.
While the Whole Foods Market is open seven days a week, the "Holy Foods Market," run by the Holy Name of Jesus Parish, located on K Street NE, is open twice a month.
Instead of a traditional food pantry, where those in need would receive a bag of food, clients who visit the Holy Foods Market are able to "shop" through the shelves and pick out what food items they would like.
The pastor at Holy Name of Jesus, Fr. Bill Carloni, said that he wanted to replicate the experience he had visiting Whole Foods in his parish's food pantry. The idea grew into Holy Foods Market, which began operations in May, a little more than a year after the Whole Foods opened down the street.