Parramore Market brings dignity, choice to Orlando food desert

Gone is the traditional food pantry line at one Parramore nonprofit. In its place stands the Parramore Market, a micro grocery store in the heart of Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood, giving residents a new way to access free food.The Desire Foundation Inc., an Orlando-based food security nonprofit founded in 2020, has replaced its traditional food pantry with the market, allowing community members to choose their own groceries rather than receiving a pre-packed box.“I think a lot of times it’s like, me making the decision on what goes in a box of food for you is really taking away your dignity; it takes away your autonomy as a person,” Jennifer Desir Hilaire, founder of The Desire Foundation, told News 6.“I feel like sometimes we treat giving food to people as a privilege, as a charity. When food is a right. Every human being has the right to have access to it.”The Parramore neighborhood has long been considered a food desert, an area with limited access to fresh, affordable food. The