NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Market at THRIVE in Newport News is much like any other grocery store.
However, there's one noticeable difference-- the store has no cash register.
Known as the Peninsula's first free grocery store, The Market at THRIVE sees as many as 2,500 customers per month. Residents of Newport News, Hampton, and York County must make appointments to shop and can do so every 30 days.
"[There are] no income requirements. Literally anybody can come," said Angela York. She's the executive director of THRIVE Peninsula, the nonprofit that runs the market.
THRIVE assists people and families on the Peninsula who are experiencing difficult times. Founded as Denbigh United Christian Outreach in 1973 with a name change in 2013, the group provides community resources to address essential living needs with the help of more than 80 church partners, as well as corporate and individual donors.
"We [want to] lead folks to stability after they've experienced a major crisis," York said, "or maybe just during their time of financial hardship."
York said healthy and nutritious eating is a priority service, which is one of the reasons why the nonprofit designed its food pantry to mimic a traditional grocery store.
"Healthy options... are often unaffordable at the grocery store," York said. "We also know that food costs have gone up 30 percent since 2020. And that is massive, because most families I know didn't get a 40 percent raise in four years. And so, more today than ever, people are struggling just to pay their basic bills."
To further combat this issue for residents in need on the Peninsula, THRIVE also maintains a raised bed garden, sponsored by Riverside Health System. The Garden at THRIVE allows the nonprofit to grow its own produce for the market.
"We produced about 700 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruits this year," York said.
The other reason why THRIVE reinvented its food pantry, York said, is to create a stigma-free environment for people and families who are facing challenges. Food Lion sponsored the market, donating shelving, furniture, and signage. The nonprofit emulated Food Lion's store models to create the market with the goal of creating a more comfortable and familiar shopping experience for clients.
'We know that about 60 percent of food-insecure families won't visit a food pantry due to stigma," York said. "We don't judge people who need help. If you're asking for help, we're here to give you help."
And the nonprofit has been able to help thousands more Peninsula residents since moving into a larger facility on November 20, 2023, more than doubling its operating size. The building is a former Boys and Girls Club, which now leases a portion of the space from THRIVE.
"Our old building was 2,500 square feet. This building is 5,700," York said. "We've already served as many people as we served in our old building for the whole year. So, we've served about 22,000 people so far in this new space."
With more room, THRIVE can now accept more cold food donations, as well as expand additional community resources. In addition to the remodeled market and garden, the nonprofit offers services to educate the community in essential areas.
There's The Free Bookstore, made possible by a collaboration with REACH, Inc. (which offers The Big Free Bookstore in Norfolk). When people visit to shop at the grocery store, they can also choose from the selection of mostly brand-new children's books or used adult books.
"We have been able to distribute thousands of books since we've come in," York said.
The building also includes a financial wing, which provides emergency financial assistance-- like help with rent, utilities, childcare, and transportation-- and financial education.
"It can look like financial coaching, [kind of] giving people a path toward stability," York said. "Maybe there were [out of] work for two weeks because of an illness, and they just can't catch up. And so, our goal is to stop the eviction to keep them from becoming homeless."
Down the hall is a 50-seat conference room where the nonprofit conducts workshops and training.
"We do things on growing vegetables," York said. "We're [going to] focus on some financial literacy topics, workforce development, and just some other ways we can help families become more healthy and stable."
Even the nonprofit's volunteer team has grown since the move nine months ago.
"Before this building, we had about 165 weekly volunteers that each [came] in for two hours or more as our frontline worker, our financial coaches, everything," York said. "Now, since we've been in our new building, we have 225 weekly volunteers."
York said there are many people who need help getting back on their feet since the COVID-19 pandemic, and she's proud of the greater impact THRIVE can have on the Peninsula since moving into the new space.
"The building is just a vessel for us. And now, it's time to really grow and serve more and more people... We are literally getting dozens of calls and emails and applications every single day," York said. "Our hope is that this year, we will reach our goal of serving 25,000 people, which we will absolutely do, and that the next fiscal year, we'll serve 30,000 people. And that would've never been possible in our old space."
THRIVE Peninsula's new location is at 12749 Nettles Drive in Newport News.
The Market at THRIVE is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m., with limited hours on Fridays. Appointments to shop are also available on as many as three Thursday evenings per month to accommodate working families.
Newport News, Hampton, and York County residents can click here to book an appointment. You must present ID's showing the number of people in your household to determine how much you're able to take from the grocery store during your appointment.
You can support the nonprofit by signing up to volunteer or by donating money or food for the pantry. Click here for a list of items THRIVE needs right now.