Free Little Pantries: Riverside fights food insecurity with neighborhood project
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It s a little project that looks to make a big impact when it comes to food insecurity in Riverside. This is a little free pantry program that was stood up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for food security throughout the city of Riverside, said Yvette Sennewald, the city s neighborhood engagement manager.
The Free Little Pantry is similar to the Free Little Library program that offers books to the community, but instead of book the shelves will be stocked with dry good and nonperishable groceries.
“Little Free Pantries not only support neighbors who are facing food insecurity but also build micro-communities. They empower people to make immediate change toward their neighborhood. By way of neighbors helping neighbors and the stocking of Little Free Pantries, micro-communities form around this pillar and in turn connect neighbors who otherwise would not have met. Find a location nearest you and form community.”
Lakewood Rotarians Mark Edgecomb (left), Bob Zawilski (with scissors), and Barlow Buescher (Lakewood Presbyterian’s Pastor) cut the ribbon a Little Free Pantry.
Rotarian Bob Zawilski was the driving force behind this project. “Ultimately, we’d like to have one Little Free Pantry in all of Lakewood’s 10 communities,” said Zawilski. UPDATE: In a follow-up chat with Zawilski, he notes the 10 communities is a bit of a fuzzy number. Zawilski cites city-data.com, neighborhoodscout.com, and nextdoor.com as sources of geographically aligned communities within