Free Little Food Pantry at Kirkfield Public Library

Liza Hancock, Free Little Food Pantry

KAWARTHA LAKES: We are pleased to announce that a Free Little Food Pantry is now open at the Kirkfield Library and is located on the West side of the building beside the parking lot.

The Kirkfield Library is on the territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabe, who have cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial and is covered by Treaty 20 and the Williams Treaty.

We thank our Treaty partners from Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation for their support in placing this pantry on the traditional territory within Treaty 20 lands.

We also thank the City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor and Council, Kawartha Lakes Public Library, Haliburton County City of Kawartha Lakes Roundtable for Ending Poverty, and Food Security Working Group of the Kawartha Lakes Food Coalition for their support.

What is a Free Little Food Pantry? The Free Little Food Pantry is a cupboard that is open 24/7 for members of the community to donate to stock non-perishable food and personal care items for neighbours to help themselves and use when they are in need.

Give What you Can, Take What you Need. The Free Little Food Pantry gives our area an opportunity to actively and safely, socially engage in kindness and sharing by donating/stocking the pantry. Covid-19 has increased poverty and hunger to seniors, adults and children here locally and around the world. If you are looking for ways to participate in positive social change in our communities, we encourage your donation to help keep the pantry stocked.

A third of the households using the local Woodville Eldon Foodbank are from the Kirkfield area. Many of these are seniors and one or two people, families. There are many barriers to people accessing our local food banks, including transportation and limited open hours. The pantry will provide privacy and flexibility for the patrons, will be safe and accessible to all, maintain a level of dignity. Especially to those elders in our region, who, through social conditioning, find it so difficult to ask for help when it comes to their own basic needs. And lastly, it will be FREE.

Anyone individual or group can donate at any time, day or night. For anyone wanting to check on the pantry and donate items on a regular basis, please call us. We will be happy to hear from you, welcome you to the team, and schedule you in at a convenient time.

Items you may wish to donate: Cereal, instant oatmeal, pancake mix, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, baking mixes, crackers, peanut butter, rice, dried soup mixes, pasta, Kraft Dinner, dried beans and lentils, sugar, flour, Toothpaste and brushes, toilet paper, soap, cleansers, food wrap, clear garbage bags, tampons and pads, incontinent pads, deodorant, hand sanitizer, masks, diapers.

Canned (not dented) vegetables, meat, and fruit will also be welcome from April to October.

Information regarding the Free Little Food Pantry and a handy shopping list to keep in your car is available at the Kirkfield Library.

Please join, check for, and share your updates on our Facebook page at The Free Little Food Pantry. We hope this pilot project will be one of many more Free Little Food Pantries in our area.

Please call Maggie Upton at 705-879-3563 or Liza Hancock at 705-928-5149 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a regular day.

#foodbank #KirkfieldPublicLibrary