A Former Family Dollar Store Transformed into New Orleans Free Store

In New Orleans, the legacy of Hurricane Katrina looms large in the Lower Ninth Ward. Over two decades have passed, yet scars remain visible. Empty lots where homes once stood and boarded-up storefronts where businesses never returned tell a somber story. Among these, an old Family Dollar store appears abandoned, its exterior adorned with graffiti. Despite appearances, the structure now serves as the New Orleans Free Store, offering free goods twice weekly.

Visitors queue outside on those days, eagerly awaiting access to shelves stocked with clothing, household goods, toys, food items, books, and even birth control. Mattresses and furniture line the walls, with bins full of purses and shoes free for the taking. Ernestine Lane, a shopper at the store, explores the racks amidst August heat with temperatures nearing 100 degrees. “We’re not accustomed to cold weather,” Lane remarks, “when it gets cold, you’re naked.” Beneath the graffiti lies a treasure trove, she insists. “Go in, there’s blessings in there.”

According to Dan Bingler, founder of the Greater New Orleans Caring Collective, “People who are struggling deserve nice things, too. Comfort, care, and fun objects offer more than mere necessities.” Three years ago, Bingler transformed the abandoned Family Dollar into this free store. He dreams of similar transformations nationwide.

Bingler, aged 42, with a history degree, recalls a former life as a server and bartender in upscale restaurants. During the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, he organized grocery deliveries to elderly residents, meal distributions to families, and laundry services for those lacking access. “It blew up locally,” Bingler recounts. Subsequently, Hurricane Ida in 2021 further established the space as a community resource center. Items donated during the hurricane now populate the store. Bingler negotiated rent-free use of the building with its property owner, maintaining utilities with opportunities to preserve the site until redevelopment.

On a usual day, shoppers include Hilsa Rodriguez, a local mother with her stepdaughters, Angela and Gloria Calix. Angela, aged 8, shares her enthusiasm for the store, flaunting animal-print hair clips. Her sister Gloria, aged 9, searches for baggy jeans. “I like to look for shirts during summer,” says Gloria, exhibiting a furry vest she plans to gift to a babysitting charge. Yet, Gloria harbors doubts over flip-flops. “I have big feet,” she admits.

Rodriguez, accompanied by her 4-year-old daughter Galya, appreciates the aid the store offers her household of six children. Beyond clothing and housewares, the store provides essential services. “We do free STI testing,” Bingler mentions, alongside food distributions and basic medical care. Art classes, punk shows, and roller skating sessions also occur. On Wednesdays, patrons roller skate; Chrishana Simon glides along a makeshift rink, praising its polished concrete.

Simon, a skating novice who learned onsite, feels right at home. Alongside Diana Ledet, a volunteer, Simon dances around a pole affixed to a table. “I definitely skate better than I pole dance,” Simon remarks, jesting as she laughs. Volunteers like Phyllis Matthews sustain the operation. Known as “Queen,” Matthews organizes donations with energy akin to an octopus. “I’m all over,” she explains, aiding in large donation pickups.

Erin Sims, preparing a hot dog stand, resonates with Bingler’s sentiment on community needs. Having raised children in the Lower Ninth Ward, Sims acknowledges widespread abandonment since Katrina. “We still have many deserted spaces,” she admits. Bingler notes the area is “the number one food desert in Louisiana,” aiming to bridge this gap with the Caring Collective.

As Bingler states, “When something happens again, we’re closer and more prepared.” Whether through hurricane relief or emergency sheltering, the New Orleans Free Store promises resilience.