Little Free Pantry Aims To Help Those In Need In Stamford

Stamford CT

06 January, 2022

7:26 PM

Description

STAMFORD, CT — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, a group of volunteers are doing their part to help those in need in Stamford. On the grounds of St. John's Lutheran Church at 884 Newfield Ave. in Stamford is a "Little Free Pantry" location. LFP was started in 2016 by an Arkansas woman to provide an easily accessible place where anyone in the community can come 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and pick up food, personal care and paper items, no questions asked. The idea turned into a nationwide movement with hundreds of locations, but few in Connecticut. Irene Hendricks, a New Canaan resident who goes to church at St. John's in Stamford, decided to open up an LFP last year to help the surrounding community. "During the pandemic, a lot of us saw the news stories of people who were in need and the long lines of people in cars waiting for food distribution at different food banks. Right around the same time, I read an article about the Little Free Pantry and I got interested," Hendricks said. Hendricks got in touch with the Stamford Health Department, and wrote a proposal on how the operation would work. She applied for grants, and The Exchange Club of New Canaan and another area church donated money to help build the pantry. A parishioner of St. John's who is also an architect designed the structure, and it opened in September. The location at St. John's features an assortment of nutritious foods, feminine care products, paper goods and toiletries. Food items can include beans, peanut or nut butters, rolled oats, brown rice, quinoa, dried milk or pasta sauce, among others. There will be more of a focus on dry goods during the winter months. Toiletry items can include shampoo, conditioner or body wash, toilet paper, dental floss, soap, laundry detergent, diapers, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Hendricks said item donations from the community are welcome. A donation box is located at the rear of the church. A group of volunteers from the church monitor the pantry and constantly check items to make sure they're not expired or tampered with. "People can pull right up, take items they need and leave," Hendricks explained. The pantry is conveniently located off a main road and on a bus route. Anyone is eligible to utilize the pantry; no sign-up is required. "It's completely confidential, it's completely anonymous. We support peoples' dignity to take as much or as little as they need." Since opening in September, the pantry has dispensed roughly 10,000 items to people. Hendricks said people have remained honest and taken what they've needed. "It's wonderful to be able to give that direct help to people who need it. It's a great thing to do. I have kids so it's a great thing to do with them to teach them about giving to those who are less fortunate," Hendricks said. "It's also wonderful because it's a way that as a church family we can outreach to the community and we can pull in other groups." This month, New Canaan High School's Service League of Boys, which is a philanthropic club for sons and parents to initiate and promote educational and charitable endeavors, is conducting a food drive and helping to restock the pantry. "This is just another way to engage other members of the community in helping their neighbors in need and to really bring more visibility to the issue of food insecurity in Stamford," Hendricks said. It's Hendricks' hope that the pantry will become a staple at the church since it's a self-sustaining initiative. "We want it to be there for a long time to come," she said. For more information on the Little Free Pantry at St. John's Lutheran Church, click here