A new feature popped up in Centennial Park last week, and those responsible hope the idea will root itself in more than just its concrete footing.
The …cole Olds Elementary School's Care Club cut the ribbon and officially opened the tiny doors of their Little Free Pantry last Thursday (May 18).
The small two-shelf cupboard is akin to the little free libraries that have crept into communities around the country of late, but instead of offering up books, the pantry stocks non-perishable food, toiletries and other helpful items.
The idea has been taking hold in other places, including Calgary and Sylvan Lake, and the contents of the pantry may vary with the needs of each community.
In an area facing economic crises, there might be food; a location with higher homeless populations might offer toiletries; and a family neighbourhood might stock snacks for local kids.
The Care Club started seven years ago as a joint classroom project between …OES teachers Sylvia Martens and Helene Fischer, to teach kids about what's happening in the world around them, and help to instill empathy.
ìWe started it so that kids would have the desire to make a difference in their local communities, in the global communities,î said Martens, ìand that they would see the difference that they make.î
During that time the club, which allows grade 3 and 4 students to join each year, has helped build a school in India, three wells in Africa, and donated to a variety of charities, from Free the Children to Habitat for Humanity.
Each year, in addition to random acts of kindness the kids are encouraged to commit around town ñ they might help shovel a snowy driveway or leave a coffee card on a windshield ñ the group also works on both a big global project and a big local project. This year, they helped fund a school building in Cambodia and as the local project, they built the little free pantry.
The town's heritage adviser Michelle Jorgensen, who was on hand for the opening, said the project was a joint partnership ñ the care club built and stocked the pantry, but needed a convenient, central location and help pouring the concrete footer.
The idea started with a discussion about what the club could do for the town. In years past they have visited and donated to the food bank, and had heard that the need had become greater this year.
ìPeople aren't only hungry on Tuesdays from nine until noon when the food bank is open,î said Martens.
ìWe thought we would try to add to it by making something that was open all the time,î said Noah Martens, a Grade 9 student at Olds High School, who is still involved with the care club. ìWe know that lots of people, they need something to sustain them the rest of the week Ö so we thought this would be a cool way to help them.î
Emma Hoppins, another Olds High student who has been part of the club since she was in Grade 4, said she wasn't sure about the idea when it first came up
ìBut now that I've seen the idea happen, and I've seen it be done in other places, I think the community will respect it a lot,î she said, ìand help out with it, and be respectful of the food in there and help refill it.î
That's the plan, anyway.
While members of the club will sustain the pantry regularly, checking and stocking it, they hope that the idea, and the slogan ñ ìTake what you need, give what you canî ñ takes hold in the community.
