Father Patrick Egan gives the pantry a pastoral blessing.
CULLMAN – In January, Mary Hovater and Martha Lawrence presented the Cullman City Council a novel idea: to establish a self-service food pantry that would help Cullmanites whose needs extend beyond the reach of large-scale charity services like Cullman Caring for Kids. The council gave the green light for a six-month trial run. On Sunday afternoon, that trial began as Cullman’s Boy Scout Troop 321 installed the pantry on a donated vacant site next to the Mary Carter hardware store on Fourth Street Southeast.
Called “little free pantries,” these emergency food stations are appearing all over the country. Folks who can pick up a few extra non-perishables and canned goods when they shop can put things in the pantry, and those in need can take what they need. According to Hovater, the little free pantry is not meant to compete with large-scale services, but help people who need a little extra after they have received their quota from those providers.
She said, “The Little Free Pantry would be a gap filler. A way to help tide over folks in need or help someone that just needs a little at that time. Our hope is that while those that are able will help keep the pantry filled, the ones that have made use of it will also come back and give a can when they are able.”
Boy Scout Troop 321, under the direction of Scoutmaster David Schwaiger, constructed and installed the pantry as a community service project. After the installation, Sacred Heart Pastor Father Patrick Egan came to give the pantry a pastoral blessing.
As of now, the pantry is open for business. Anyone who wishes to contribute is encouraged to stop by and place goods inside.
Hovater said of the project, “The motto is ‘Leave what you can…take what you need.’ It's neighbors helping neighbors!”
Visit Cullman's Little Free Pantry Project on Facebook at http://qrne.ws/pantry.
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