Pratt Free Market Turns Libraries Into Lifelines for Kids

In this episode, Messellech “Selley” Abebe chats with Dr. Emil Cunningham and Eunice Na about the Pratt Free Market, a free grocery store inside the Enoch Pratt Free Library that is helping Baltimore families access food with dignity. Dr. Emil Cunningham is the executive director of the library’s Office of Equity and Fair Practice, and Na coordinates the day-to-day operations of the market. Together, they discuss how libraries are expanding beyond books to meet basic needs, why food access is critical for children’s well-being and learning, and how trusted public spaces can play a powerful role in supporting families facing food insecurity. To learn more about the Pratt Free Market, you can visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library website. Want to keep digging into the real-life impact policy decisions have on children? Here’s some of what First Focus on Children has published recently: The Misguided Push to Abolish the Department of Education A Superintendent Speaks Out from the Front Lines of Our Public Schools Organized Abandonment: How Attacks on Public Systems Are Harming Parents and Children To join the conversation, follow First Focus on Children on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Send us comments on thoughts via email: [e-mail] Find us on Twitter/X: @SpeakingOfKids and @First_Focus Want to be a voice for kids? Become an Ambassador for Children here. To support our work and this podcast, please consider donating to First Focus on Children here.