Bluffton Presbyterian Church recently introduced its Little Free Pantry, stocked with a variety of food items. Much like a Little Free Library, the items inside are free to whoever needs them. Shown stocking the pantry are Bluffton Community Preschool children, from left, Chase Rhoad, Piper Kruse and Noah DeMarco, with help from, from left, Diane Winebar, the Rev. Karol Farris and preschool director Amber Bingley. (Photo by Jeannie Wiley Wolf)
By JEANNIE WILEY WOLF
Staff Writer
BLUFFTON — Bluffton Presbyterian Church has found a new way to tackle hunger in the community. It’s called the Little Free Pantry and it’s there for anyone who needs it.
The pantry looks like a miniature red barn and stands at the rear of the North Main Street church property. Similar to the Little Free Library idea, the pantry is stocked with food instead of books, but still centered around the idea: give what you can, take what you need.
A recent visit revealed the shelves held canned corn, sacks of rice and lentils, a caramel apple cookie mix, bacon bits, instant ramen noodles, a Hamburger Helper kit and cups of cinnamon applesauce.
“It’s a grassroots movement to fulfill an immediate and local need,” church member Diane Winebar said. “Food insecurity can be anywhere.”
She said the idea was brought up at a meeting of the church’s New Beginnings team. The program helps churches make meaningful decisions about the direction in which they are going.
“Because like all organizations, sometimes churches get stuck. So we wanted to discern what God was calling us to be. We knew that we had the potential to be more and do more than we were doing,” said Winebar.
The yearlong process provided information about the church’s membership, finances and building, as well as community demographics. Once the official program was completed, church members decided to keep a New Beginnings team of which Winebar is a member.
“Going through New Beginnings really motivated us,” she said. “And so people came to us with ideas: ‘Well, we should try this; have you ever thought of that?'”
She said the team “honestly tests ideas against our resources and against our hearts. We look at each idea practically. I mean, we may want to do it, it may be in our heart to do it, but it may not be possible. We can’t do everything.”
But when a church member suggested the idea for the Little Free Pantry, they knew it was doable.
Church member Mike Rhonemus volunteered to construct the pantry using wood from an old cupboard that was no longer being used. A foam seal around the door keeps out moisture and insects.
The pantry measures 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep and took Rhonemus about 10 hours to complete. His wife, Tenna, also helped. The pantry was placed at the back of the church to provide privacy for the people utilizing it.
“The people who want to put things in do so, the people who take things out can do so, all from the same location,” Winebar said. “So you’ll see people in and out of there, and you don’t know if they’re putting in, taking out, and it doesn’t matter, which is the glory of it.”
Word has spread through the church newsletter and local news outlets, said Pastor Karol Farris.
Students of the Bluffton Community Preschool which is housed in the church were also interested in the pantry, she said.
“The first few days of the preschool, every other student was stopping: ‘What’s this, Mommy?’ So the little kids are very curious. Most people are who haven’t seen it before. ‘What’s that little house?’ So anybody who sees it is going to pause and look and see what this is,” Farris said.
Winebar said anyone is free to donate or take food, but church members are keeping an eye on the pantry and its supply.
“We check for leaking cans, and what have you, and we keep it neat and tidy and organized,” she said.
“I’ve seen everything in there. I’ve seen Jell-O and pudding. I’ve seen soups, personal care items which, according to the Little Free Pantry website, is one of the most needed things,” she added.
Items in glass containers are discouraged for safety reasons.
“We’re keeping track of all that, but really, basically, anything within size limit can go in there,” Winebar said. “And one nice thing about the Little Free Pantry is that it’s very organic, meaning the stock changes. I did notice some packs of pencils in there a few weeks ago, which was lovely with school starting.”
As Halloween approaches, she said people might want to donate bags of candy. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, cooking and baking supplies may be appreciated.
“When people stop by to get things out, they seem to be doing it in a shopping way of picking out the things they actually want or need,” said Farris. “No one is coming in and clearing out everything to hoard it. So people are taking what they need or want, and not just to be greedy about it.”
The Bluffton Food Pantry is only open a few days a week, so the Little Free Pantry provides a “safety net” for those in need, Winebar said.
“This is open 24/7. It’s always there. It’s always open,” she said.
“Our church is very involved in providing things for that food pantry, which is definitely in addition to this,” said Farris. “It’s not a competition in any way. We’re living out the command to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
The church also sponsored an outdoor community movie on the lawn this summer, attended by nearly 100 people. It has also participated in the National Night Out, a community police awareness-raising event, for several years and helps with Family Promise of Lima/Allen County, a faith-based agency dedicated to helping homeless families achieve and sustain independence.
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