GOOD DEEDS: A little free pantry - Rapid City Journal

GOOD DEEDS: A little free pantry - Rapid City Journal

In the week since it opened, the Little Free Pantry has already proved to be an invaluable service to the less fortunate of Rapid City.

The idea, inspired by the Little Free Library concept, is a grassroots project to address local food insecurity. After getting the idea on Oct. 17, Jennifer Reasor told her husband and had the box built at her home by Oct. 21.

"I felt it was something that could really fill the gap for families in need around this area," Reasor said. "Some people struggle to put food on the table, to make ends meet, so if they had something like this, it's a little bit of extra help until the next payday."

In the first week alone, the response to the pantry outside their home, east of North Maple Avenue and south of East Knollwood Drive, has been "overwhelming," according to Reasor.

"People have been giving, receiving several times a day, and we always add stock to fill it back up," Reasor said. "It's hard to tell how much has gone in and how much has gone out because things go pretty fast."

The box is open 24 hours and is not locked. Anyone who wishes to donate can stop by to put items into the box or leave them on the porch, and the box is restocked with overflow several times a day.

"As for anyone who wants to use it, there's no paperwork and no questions asked," Reasor said. "They can come and take what they need."

Reasor said that though she planned to have a cooler outside eventually, nonperishable items are the most recommended items, from canned and powdered milk to rice, canned tuna, cereal and peanut butter. 

"We've also added items that you can't get with the SNAP [food stamps]  program or other pantries: toilet paper, soap, diapers, diaper wipes, toothbrushes, pet food," Reasor said. 

Reasor added that she crochets hats and other small items as the weather cools but asked that no bulky clothing, sharp items or consumables that contain alcohol be left. 

"It's a great joy to be able to feed your family for a day," Reasor said. "No one needs to go to bed hungry."

Coat drive

PeopleReady is holding its second annual Giving Warmth Coat Drive. Collections started Oct. 1 and will continue through March 1. Donations can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at PeopleReady, 107A New York St.

The organization is looking for clean and usable winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves.

In 2015-16, PeopleReady gave away 150 pieces of winter clothing to people in the community.

Bell ringers needed

Volunteer and paid bell ringers are needed to man multiple kettle locations at storefronts in Rapid City, Belle Fourche, Lead, Spearfish and Sturgis. Bell Ringing begins Nov. 17 in Rapid City and Nov. 18 in the Northern Hills communities, and runs through Christmas Eve.

For more information, contact The Salvation Army at 405 N. Cherry Ave., Rapid City; 342-0982.

Food program

Youth & Family Services will sponsor the Child and Adult Care Food Program again this year, it announced recently. The CACFP is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has been sponsored by YFS since 1984.

This program reimburses family and group family child care providers for serving healthful meals and snacks and providing assistance in meal planning, meal preparation and nutrition education.

The program also helps promote positive food attitudes and healthful eating habits. Any registered/licensed family or group family child care provider may participate.

Local organizations donate more than $50,000 to nonprofit

In September, First Interstate Rapid City and Casey Peterson & Associates co-hosted a fundraiser benefiting Rural America Initiatives, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk and impoverished Native American youths.

A news release said the event brought in more than 2,000 food items. The First Interstate Foundation and Casey Peterson & Associates each donated $25,000 toward RAI’s capital campaign to build new Head Start classrooms. In addition, First Interstate employees donated more than $1,200 to RAI’s Head Start food bank, an amount also matched by the First Interstate Foundation.

Halloween candy buy-back program offered

Day One Dentistry is giving kids a chance to trade in their Halloween spoils for cash.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1-2, children can take up to 5 pounds of candy to the Day One Dentistry offices at 717 Mead St., Suite 200, in Rapid City. Children will receive $1 per pound of candy.

Once the candy has been collected, it will be shipped to U.S. armed forces members who are serving overseas.