Little Free Pantry: Giving to help the community - St. Helens Chronicle

Little Free Pantry: Giving to help the community - St. Helens Chronicle

How many of us have ever found ourselves short on cash and in need of some necessities? It could happen to anybody. Wouldn’t it be nice when you find yourself in a pinch if you could rely on your community for support?

A former Portland resident and military veteran, Brandee Dudzic was originally interested in the Little Free Library project when she found and read an article about The Little Free Pantry, described on its website as a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to immediate and local need. The Little Free Pantry pilot project began in May of 2016 and spread to several states.

The concept is meant to compel a local interest in food security issues while strengthening community ties. According to the website, “Whether a need for food or a need to give, the Little Free Pantry facilitates neighbors helping neighbors, building community.”

Dudzic and her husband Mark, also a veteran, decided they would place a Little Free Pantry in front of their home. As you approach the West Street intersection of North 2nd Street in St. Helens, you can see the pantry, which resembles a birdhouse or large mailbox, at the edge of their yard, easily reached from the sidewalk.

“It takes lending a cup of sugar to your neighbor to a new level,” Dudzic said. “The longer I have it, the more I will learn what the needs are of my community.”

Her pantry was stocked with different types of food and canned goods, books, hygiene products, and other essentials. She said the inventory changes from day to day, noting that hygiene items such as toothbrushes and razors need replacing most often.

Dudzic picked up a degree of local notoriety when she posted photos of her pantry to a large, locally focused social media group. Her post earned more than 600 “likes” and was widely shared and discussed. Most of the comments were in support of the idea.

“Lots of people have been interested in donating, and I’ve sent out my address to people who asked to donate and people who’ve asked to use it,” Dudzic said.

Since putting up the pantry early this month she said it has seen a fair amount of use. “Someone has let people know this is here; it’s already catching on,” she said. “Day or night, if there is something that you need, come and get it.”

Dudzic said her friend and fellow veteran Bryan Smith built the Little Free Pantry for her. She said Smith was eager to work on the project and it took about three days to construct. She paid $75 for her pantry, complete with stylistic flourishes, and she estimated around $25 of that was building materials. Dudzic said Smith was working on another pantry, too, and she wants to see several pop up around town.

“I’m hoping to get one in at least the four quadrants of St. Helens, and hopefully they grow,” she said. “I love the idea of communities helping each other and coming together.”

Dudzic said she and her husband moved to St. Helens more than a decade ago and enjoyed a thriving Olde Towne. “It had lots of little mom-and-pop businesses,” she said. “A couple years after we moved here, the town started to slide backwards a little bit and businesses were closing.” Dudzic said they considered a move back to Portland, but instead decided to double down on St. Helens.

“We made the decision to stay in Columbia County, and with that decision was ‘we’re going to be a part of the solution – let’s be the fresh, happy exciting face of Columbia County,’” Dudzic said.

Coincidentally, a religious group recently proposed a similar project, Blessing Boxes, to the St. Helens City Council. The group asked the city for permission to deploy their version of the pantries at strategic locations such as McCormick Park or the library. Dudzic said she was unaware of Blessing Boxes project, but sees an opportunity for collaboration in the future, adding that pooling resources or making bulk purchases makes it easier to stock supplies.

What if somebody decided to clean the pantry out, take it all? “You have no idea of knowing if someone walked by and was like ‘hey, cool stuff, I’m just going to take it all,’ or if someone legitimately needed every item in there,” Dudzic said. “I have no way of knowing, and I don’t want to make that decision.”

“If I walk out here in the morning and the whole thing is empty, then I just restock it,” she said. “There is no negativity.”

Weather may come up as an issue (the pantries may benefit from some winterization), there may be those who take more than they need, and of course vandalism is a concern, but Dudzic is not worried by any of that. “The good certainly outdoes the potential of something maybe happening,” she said. “If you are well off enough to have a surplus of anything, you should consider it.”

For more information about The Little Free Pantry project or to contact Brandee Dudzic send an email to bdudzic@pdx.edu.