Little food pantry making big difference

By Tina Covington / For Gulf Coast Media
Posted 2/15/17

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — A small community food pantry is now set up outside Bay Minette Elementary School and it’s stocked with food and necessities donated by locals. Residents are encouraged to …

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Little food pantry making big difference

Posted

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — A small community food pantry is now set up outside Bay Minette Elementary School and it’s stocked with food and necessities donated by locals. Residents are encouraged to take what they need and leave behind what they can.

The “Your Pantry” project came to Bay Minette through the efforts of Heather Karras, a mom of two and a local PTO volunteer. Karras said she was sparked into action after seeing reports of similar pantries on the news and social media.

“This woman started what she called a ‘Blessing Box’ and I thought it was an awesome idea and an easy way to help our community,” she said.

So Karras got to work. She gathered information on how to build a tiny food pantry and secured permission to place it on school property. Following construction, it was installed last month on East Ninth Street. The pantry has already provided food for countless individuals and has been quickly restocked by anonymous donations.

Karras said she decided to name it “Your Pantry” so that was inclusive and to encourage a sense of ownership. “One of the major benefits of the pantry is no matter your situation, time of day, day of week or your social/religious background, it’s there for whoever needs it,” she said. “Hours, locations hinder some from getting what they need, when they need it.”

It’s a simple, pay-it-forward kind of program, Karras said, and donations can be left in the pantry any time. “The goal is to get others involved that want to help the community but don’t know how or have a ton of time. This was an easy way to raise awareness,” she said.

Placing it near the school is also a way to make sure that those who need it can easily access it. “You can’t learn when you are hungry and you certainly can’t think of ways to better your situation if your trying to think of ways to feed your family. Food is a necessity,” she said.

BMES Principal Zack Wigstrom is a big fan of the little pantry. “One of the things that is so wonderful about the North Baldwin feeder pattern is the strong connection between the community and our schools,” Wigstrom said. “This tool shows how selfless many of our families are in this area. It also teaches students how important it is to help others in need.”

The idea has caught on like wildfire and Karras has been contacted about adding more at key locations around the county.

“I’ve gotten a lot of requests for more and plan on putting them where people have offered to keep an eye out and help fill it,” she said. While some of those will be in north Baldwin, she has also received requests individuals in Daphne and Elberta. “I hope the pantry gives people what they need, builds more sense of community and raises awareness of what’s going on right in our backyards.”