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Pantry – Archive /The Highlander
On Feb. 5, the city of Riverside officially established the first of 26 community pantries throughout the city, all committed to combating food insecurity. This initiative is formally known as the Little Free Pantry program and is a collaborative effort between the city of Riverside, Inland Empire Health Plan and the Riverside Mutual Aid Network.Â
Now, the city of Riverside received about $28 million through the CARES Act, legislation dedicated to helping citizens navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately $13 million of these funds were allocated to supporting families with children through child care and food assistance. Thus, the Little Free Pantry program was created as a part of this effort. âThe program has received such great interest and positive feedback that we are now looking into funding sources to continue this program as part of our existing Neighborhood Programs,â Josaline Cuesta, City
A longtime UPS driver will keep remaining a fixture of a Pasadena community after they banded together and made his reconsider changing his route. The program started last year through the CARES Act and it has been so successful that now we are branching out to find other sources funding so that we can continue this program even after the CARES Act program, said Sennewald.
The goal is to have 26 Little Free Pantries installed in neighborhoods across Riverside. Those interested can apply to be a host or steward or both.
Fred Stover of Overflow Farms offered his corner for a pantry site.
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.
Riverside opens its first Free Little Pantry highlandernews.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from highlandernews.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Aram Ayra, a UCR alumni from the class of 2018 and former ASUCR president, is running for Riverside City Council Ward 2. As a political science student at UCR, Ayra rose from being a CHASS senator to ASUCR president, addressing matters of oversight on police officers, sexual harassment and helped facilitate communication between UCR and […]