Here’s the important important information:
- At 22nd & Wharton in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood the “Duran Grocery Store Corp 2 Inc” Corner Store has free books available to the public!
- The store is open from 8am-9pm Monday through Saturday.
- There are too many books at the Corner Store Corner Library, please go take some.
Here’s the story:
In early 2021 I noticed that the shelves by the front door at the corner store on 22nd & Wharton were empty. Without asking, I assumed that they were empty because of how easy it would be to steal from those shelves due to the layout of the store.
During a normal trip to the corner store for some cigarettes and Gatorade, I asked the owner and manager of the store Marlene Rodriguez if I could stock her shelves with things that people could take for free, she graciously allowed.
The first week, I dropped off copies of the Philly Metro newspaper and Grid Magazine. They went. The next week I painted a little sign that said “Reading is important and so are you” and dropped off 50 books that had been donated to me. They went.
In one year we were able to give away more than 1,000 books thanks to local donations from friends, family, and people on the internet.
In 2022, after giving away more than 2,000 books to the community along with school supplies and anything else useful I could get my hands on – I had to leave South Philly and move to New York for work. I’d check in with Marlene and her son Brandon every couple months to restock the shelves with books and Christmas gifts, but as 2022 drifted into 2023 and into 2024 my visits became less frequent because I was less needed.
The Point Breeze community completely took over my Corner Store Corner Library project and ran with it. I went on July 3rd, 2024 to restock the shelves that I felt guilty for having neglected. Much to my surprise the shelves were overflowing with HUNDREDS of books. When I put this project together, I only ever expected to fill up one shelf. It was a great source of pride for me when one shelf turned to two in 2022. But on July 3rd – for the first time, I saw all four shelves not only filled but stuffed two rows deep with free books for the community!
Children’s books, best sellers, fantasy, horror, political books, it is all there! Marlene explained to me that more than 200 of these books came from an older man who died. The front shelf at the Duran Grocery Store Corp 2 Inc Corner Store on 22nd & Wharton has more books than most classrooms.
Building this free book shelf is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my life. Seeing how receptive the Point Breeze Community has been to it has brought me sincere joy. We don’t have an email list, we don’t want you to sign up for anything, we just have free books for you to take and do whatever you want with it.
Consider donating to the Corner Store Corner Library in the Fall or Winter of 2024, it’s too packed right now to accept donations. You don’t have to call anyone or set anything up – just go drop them off and maybe buy a snack from Marlene.
Philly Plain Dealer 
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