ABOUT US
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!
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Mission Statement:
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Barb Food Mart is a food pantry that serves students and families in DeKalb School District 428. We promote dignity, equity and choice while reducing food insecurity and increasing access to community resources.
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Non Discrimination Statement:
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Barb Food Mart does not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, native language, race, religion or creed, or sexuality. All volunteers, donors, and parents or guardians of current DeKalb School District (D428) students are welcome at Barb Food Mart.
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Family Privacy Policy:​
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At Barb Food Mart, the privacy of the families we serve is extremely important. Families, visitors, volunteers, and others who may attend any Barb Food Mart event or distribution are expected to uphold this Privacy Policy at all times.
Identifying Information
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When families register to receive food from Barb Food we collect identifying information such as:
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Name
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Address
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Phone Number
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School
This information is never sold or shared with any other party. This information is never printed on pre-packed orders, or posted online or on social media.
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Photos
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To share our mission with the community, we often take pictures of the food we distribute and our volunteers. Representatives of Barb Food Mart will never take your picture without your permission. Vehicle license plates and identifying information, as described above, will never appear in any pictures posted to social media, posted to our website, or printed on mailings.
Volunteers and community partners may not take personal photos while at the Pantry or Pantry events without the express permission of Barb Food Mart staff.