There's a new resource for people in Mount Airy, as neighbors are helping neighbors in need.Community members are banding together to create more food pantries across Maryland, and in Mount Airy, they've created the Little Free Pantry.Shelf after shelf is stocked with staples commonly found in kitchen pantries or bathroom cabinets."What you can find inside a Little Free Pantry is food, but most importantly, hygiene items," said Mary Ann Varley, of Damascus.The idea is simple: Give what you can and take what you need.Varley started the Little Free Pantry at her Damascus home years ago. After it was stolen earlier this year, Varley said she was amazed by how the community came to her aid. Mail carriers dropped off cash and neighbors setup a GoFundMe page.Social media posts spread like wildfire, grabbing the attention of people like Rachel Smith, of Mount Airy."I said, 'Look, we'll make you a new one. My husband is a builder with Home Innovation, so we’ll make you a new one. Let’s do this. What do we need to do?'" Smith said.They were quick to rebuild the Damascus pantry, which is back up and running on Locust Drive.And now, there's a brand new Little Free Pantry on Main Street in Mount Airy.Even Smith's children got in on the action."I think I have a picture of Lincoln, our 4-year-old, out there with the hammer with (my husband), Jeremy, building the pantry. So they’ve been involved in the whole thing, they were here both of the openings in Damascus and Mount Airy, so we try and teach them about giving back," Smith said.It's a valuable lesson even for the youngest volunteers."Especially if I'm driving by and I have my kids and it’s like, they’re the ones that will point it out to me. They’ll say, 'Hey, look, someone's doing stuff with the pantry. Look, look,'" Smith said.Varley said she knows how important something so simple can be to those in need."I got a lot of messages from people that said, 'Hey, I didn’t tell anybody, I didn’t even tell my husband, but I came, and you helped me through a difficult time,'" Varley said.There is also a pantry in Clarksburg, and a plan is in the works to build two more in Germantown and Kensington.
There's a new resource for people in Mount Airy, as neighbors are helping neighbors in need.
Community members are banding together to create more food pantries across Maryland, and in Mount Airy, they've created the Little Free Pantry.
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Shelf after shelf is stocked with staples commonly found in kitchen pantries or bathroom cabinets.
"What you can find inside a Little Free Pantry is food, but most importantly, hygiene items," said Mary Ann Varley, of Damascus.
The idea is simple: Give what you can and take what you need.
Varley started the Little Free Pantry at her Damascus home years ago. After it was stolen earlier this year, Varley said she was amazed by how the community came to her aid. Mail carriers dropped off cash and neighbors setup a GoFundMe page.
Social media posts spread like wildfire, grabbing the attention of people like Rachel Smith, of Mount Airy.
"I said, 'Look, we'll make you a new one. My husband is a builder with Home Innovation, so we’ll make you a new one. Let’s do this. What do we need to do?'" Smith said.
They were quick to rebuild the Damascus pantry, which is back up and running on Locust Drive.
And now, there's a brand new Little Free Pantry on Main Street in Mount Airy.
Even Smith's children got in on the action.
"I think I have a picture of Lincoln, our 4-year-old, out there with the hammer with (my husband), Jeremy, building the pantry. So they’ve been involved in the whole thing, they were here both of the openings in Damascus and Mount Airy, so we try and teach them about giving back," Smith said.
It's a valuable lesson even for the youngest volunteers.
"Especially if I'm driving by and I have my kids and it’s like, they’re the ones that will point it out to me. They’ll say, 'Hey, look, someone's doing stuff with the pantry. Look, look,'" Smith said.
Varley said she knows how important something so simple can be to those in need.
"I got a lot of messages from people that said, 'Hey, I didn’t tell anybody, I didn’t even tell my husband, but I came, and you helped me through a difficult time,'" Varley said.
There is also a pantry in Clarksburg, and a plan is in the works to build two more in Germantown and Kensington.
