09/13/2026
As the pantry has grown and more people have started using it, I’ve realized I need to make a few changes to how I manage it so that it can remain sustainable and accessible to as many people as possible.
First and foremost, this will always be a no questions asked pantry. If you need food, hygiene products or something else that’s here, please take it. You never have to explain your circumstances to me or prove that you’re struggling.
At the same time, I’m asking everyone to remember that this is a shared community resource.
I’ve noticed that when the pantry is well stocked, particularly with things like children’s snacks and other popular items, sometimes very large quantities are taken by one single person or household shortly afterward. The pantry is on my property and the area is monitored by security cameras, so I have a general sense of how it is being used. This isn’t mentioned to shame or single anyone out at all, I don’t want to do that. But it has helped me realize that the way I’ve been stocking it isn’t working as well as I hoped. Going forward, I’m going to do things a little differently.
Instead of putting an entire donation out at once, I’ll be stocking smaller quantities at different times. I’ll replenish things when I’m able to and as donations come in. I also don’t necessarily post whenever the pantry has just been filled, because I’d like to avoid situations where there’s a big rush and someone shows up to find nothing left. I would like people who stop by at different times of the day to have a chance of finding something.
Just please know that you can always come back if you need to. ❤️
If there are granola bars, bread, snacks or other things your household could use, you don’t have to take enough to last indefinitely because you’re worried they won’t be here again. Take what will help you for now, leave some for the next neighbour if you can, and you’re always welcome to check the pantry again another day. There is absolutely no shame in coming back.
I also want to be transparent that this is a small community pantry, not an organization with an unlimited food budget. A significant portion of what goes into it comes from my own household, alongside some of the incredibly generous donations people have made. I simply can’t replace an entire pantry every few hours, and I don’t want to reach a point where keeping it going becomes impossible. So I’m going to stop trying to keep it full all the time. Some days there may be lots. Some days there may only be a few things. Sometimes it may be empty until I’m able to restock it, and that’s going to have to be okay with me.
Please take what you need. Please leave some when you can. And please remember there is another person, child, or family coming after you who may be hoping to find something too.
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared the page, dropped something off, taken only what they needed, or otherwise helped this little pantry become part of our neighbourhood. I really do want to keep it going, I just need to make sure we’re doing it in a way that can last. ❤️
