Once a month volunteers with United Way of Central Maryland pack food, books and clothing to help local families. Christine Kennedy is one of the dozens sorting food items during Thanksgiving Week at Curtis Bay Elementary.

“I volunteer year-round, but it’s especially important this week,” said Kennedy after organizing bags of gravy.

Baltimore City Public Schools data shows 72% of students at Curtis Bay are in need. Shenika Foster, a Community School Coordinator, said having free holiday meals available has become more meaningful after two grocers in the area closed recently.

“The closest grocery store would take two buses. And with the average family size of about six to seven people, it's impossible to buy groceries for that size family and be able to bring it home,” said Foster.

Instead of a double bus commute, Foster decided to turn the lobby into a ‘shopping environment.’ Volunteers such as Kennedy transformed the school’s entrance from a foyer into a minimart. There are bags of rice, cans of cranberry sauce, boxes of cornbread and two large coolers. One stores whole chickens, the other turkeys.

“It gives the families a little sense of pride, that they are able to get the items that they actually want and need, and it'll actually get put to good use,” Foster said. Previously, families were handed bags of food, and did not have the option to select items.

Another data point is the growing Hispanic population. More than a third of the school’s population are students who recently immigrated from Latin America. That demographic change is prompting Foster to order culturally specific foods in the future.