Little Free Pantries Do Big Job on the KP and Beyond

“Take what you need, give what you can.” That is the motto of the Little Free Pantry movement, “a grassroots crowdsourced solution to immediate and local need,” that began in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2016. It grew from one tentative pantry into a global phenomenon within months.

Currently, there are several pantries on the Key Peninsula, five of which are maintained by the Gig Harbor Midday Rotary Club.

The sunny yellow and blue pantries are monitored and restocked by a small but determined army of volunteers. The cheerful pantries reflect the positive outlooks of the ten regular volunteers who tend their assigned location three to four times a week, adding up to about 80 trips a month. Pantries are stocked with protein, nutritious non-perishable items, and hygiene products. Records kept by Rotary reveal 800-900 pounds of food are dispensed each month. The pantries are available for anyone needing food.

Lonna Calas heads up the group of Rotarians dedicated to the community service project. Calas delivers boxes of goods to each volunteer. The volunteers then stock their pantries as needed. “It’s been our mission for five years. People are not aware of the hunger, but we see it.” The stewards, as they are called, have witnessed individuals taking a can from the case, popping the top, and eating the contents on the spot.

“We are seeing a new demographic, those requesting infant formula, pancake mix, flour, and sugar, indicating more people living in homes are using the pantries,” Calas said. “We try to address the needs that we see,” Calas said. “Sometimes we receive thank-you notes in the pantries. Once, a homeless man donated $5.”

“In a true emergency with no judgment, you can get a meal and help your family,” said one volunteer. “One gentleman told me he appreciated the pop-top cans; he is unable to use a can opener due to nerve damage in his hands. That struck me. And we use a variety of can sizes. Some people walk quite a way, and they like smaller sizes. It’s been eye-opening.”

Julia Lindbergh Runyon fills pantries every other day. “For me, it’s people helping people —homeless, kids, and low-income families. Sometimes people are waiting by the pantry for the filling. I don’t know how much the community is aware of the need. Sometimes community members leave items in the pantry, too.”

Pantry items are purchased with funding and grants from Rotary. When some items are low on inventory, it is not uncommon for volunteers to purchase food with their own money. Items are stocked with the awareness that some users may not have kitchen facilities; they need food that does not need to be cooked before eating. Some users are children with no adults to assist. Some locations are frequented by people living in tents in the woods.

The stewards often make their rounds with spouses and children. “The husbands help move boxes, and it is a good example for young people,” Calas said. “It’s important for people to be needed. It is an obvious way to give back. This is real.”