What would you do if your local park became a haven for those without a home? For our community, the answer started with a simple idea: food.
In the summer and autumn of 2023, our community started to notice more and more unhoused people were setting up temporary shelters in local parks, including a group of three adults who built a shelter in the park behind our street. We wanted to do something to help, and for me the first thing to come to mind is food, so I started researching what we might be able to do. We brought food out to them directly a few times, but wanted something a little more permanent and something the whole community could contribute to and benefit from.
That’s when I discovered the Little Free Pantries Project and rushed to set one up. At the time I felt it was more important to have something than to spend a lot of time making it perfect, so I searched marketplace and found an inexpensive bathroom cabinet with legs, added some planks of wood for stability, replaced the glass with plastic, and added a custom stick-on sign made by a friend.
I knew it probably wouldn’t last long since it was an indoor cabinet and well, this is southern Ontario, so one winter and it was toast. —but it was getting used–like, a lot.
It truly warmed my heart every time I saw that someone else had put food in the pantry. There are lots of kind people out there, and you get to see it for yourself when you give them an opportunity to do something good. The people sheltering in the park were “evicted” by the police before December, but I’m fairly sure they stopped by to make use of the pantry long after.
By the summer of 2024 I knew the pantry would need to be replaced, and I wanted to make it even better by adding a fridge. I went to all my local Buy Nothing groups and asked if anyone had a small fridge they no longer needed and someone did!
I had every intention of trying to build or find a cabinet that could house it and a couple shelves, but nothing was quite right and my carpentry skills are ….um…..creative at best. Before I knew it, September was here and I knew I wasn’t going to get it done on my own so I made a post in our little neighbourhood Facebook group explaining the project, the need, and asking who might help me build something in time to have it up and running before winter.
A neighbour from down the street who happens to be a contractor (DNA Renos) not only had the skills, but lots of bits and pieces leftover from previous jobs. He built the whole cabinet just with those bits and pieces! I painted the outside with some white barn paint, and added a couple patio stones in front of it, ran an outdoor extension cord from the house to power the fridge and it was ready to go!
To this day, the community fridge & pantry is still being used on a regular basis. Times have been tough for a lot of people, and the cost of food keeps going up so it’s heartening to see neighbours helping neighbours this way.
Caring for your community and fellow humans is a step in the right direction. It’s proof that small actions, like building a pantry, can have a ripple effect. By coming together, we not only provide for immediate needs but also foster a culture of kindness and support that inspires others to join in. If you’ve ever thought about making a difference in your neighborhood, let this be your sign to start.
While a pantry won’t solve hunger on its own, it demonstrates how individuals can spark change and encourage others to take small, meaningful actions. If this story resonates with you, consider setting up a Little Free Pantry in your neighborhood or joining local efforts to support those in need. Together, we can make a difference.