The Little Free Pantry

There is a Little Free Pantry located at the corner of the St. Olaf Lutheran Church property. It’s an olive green, wooden cabinet with a shingled roof. The cabinet has a wooden base that brings its contents to torso height. The door to the pantry has seen better days but serves its purpose. The sign on the front says “Take what you need. Bring what you can.” It’s a way for the church to provide food, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products for those in need. Austin has a significant portion of the population who lives in poverty. This is one way to help.

I walk by this pantry on a regular basis. One day, I decided to adopt the pantry for a month. The plan was to donate a few items to the pantry on a daily basis and also take a photo of the pantry. I wanted to get an idea of how much traffic the pantry saw. I wanted to see how much was donated to the pantry and how much was taken. This is an indication of community need.

Before reading further, I ask that you accept one assumption for this experiment: that ALL of the people who access this pantry are in need. What the need is doesn’t matter. It is no one’s business or job to judge the need, determine if it’s worthy of accessing this pantry. All who come to this cabinet need something from it. Period. In other words, I am asking you to assume the best intentions for the people who access this pantry. If you can’t accept this assumption, then it’s best you stop reading here.

I decided to vary what I donated over the month. Mac n cheese, box cereal, feminine hygiene products, household cleaning supplies, rice, pasta, canned goods, and some spices. I figured most of those who rely on this pantry probably don’t have the money for spices, so I was sure to include them. I added some cold-weather gear too. Crocheted a few hats using yarn leftover from other projects. I didn’t contribute anything with a glass bottle to the pantry because I didn’t want it to break and get glass everywhere. This is Minnesota and it is winter. No need to add a hazard for those using the pantry. Plastic or paper packaging only. I decided to contribute 3 items a day. Every day for 30 days.

It was amazing to see the turnover. Most of the time, the things I contributed were gone the next day. I saw others left items as well – canned and dried goods and winter items. These items disappeared fairly quickly too. The pantry was never full but also never bare. Some days, little to nothing had been added. On a few days, it is obvious someone went on a shopping trip and packed the pantry. Fruit cups, rice, beans, pasta, and applesauce. Every time I saw this, it was all gone the next day.

Some of the items I donated were extra items from my own pantry. Pasta I purchased and realized I wouldn’t use or extra items I had purchased and decided to donate instead. I also made a dedicated trip to the dollar store and procured detergent, dish soap, toilet bowl cleaner, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, and dried and canned food items. Things that would keep well and not freeze in the Minnesota winter.

Additional items I saw donated to the pantry by others include clothing, towels, and winter wear. Someone put a Thai Chi VHS tape to the pantry. An interesting donation. Made me wonder if this was one of those times someone just didn’t want to trash an item and chose to donate it instead. The tape sat there for about a week before it found a new home.

About 20 days into my experiment, I started to wonder about the people who access the items in the pantry. A single mom who needed a few dinners to last her and her children until payday. An elderly couple who needs a little food during the month because their social security checks don’t quite cover all their needs. The college student who barely makes ends meet and gets a couple of free meals a month thanks to this pantry. The high school student who doesn’t get enough food at home and supplements with items from this resource. A couple who lost their jobs during the pandemic and are making it on the kindness of strangers while they look for new employment. I picture that this pantry helps them get a meal and other needed items and maintains their dignity during a hard time. Those who utilize this pantry are any one of us at any time. No one is beyond needing a hand-up in this life.

This project also filled a need for me too – a way to contribute during the pandemic. A way for me to engage in something beyond myself during the harsh, gray Minnesota winter. I tried to walk my items to the pantry whenever possible (about a 2-mile round trip excursion). This got me out of the house and helped combat cabin fever, a common affliction up here, especially during COVID times. This activity also assisted in grounding me, get me moving, and kept my morale up. There is more than a need for food right now, there is also a need to be of service and connect in some way to the community. This allowed me a flexible way to do just that.

There is definitely a need in this community. This pantry is providing a way to meet it.

Thank you to all who support it.

Below is a video compilation of the photos I took each day I visited the Little Free Pantry.