Little Free Food Pantry in Glencarlyn
Thank you to everyone for supporting the Little Free Food Pantry! The LFFP is a true community project and resource. We at St. John’s are honored to host it.
Operation: The LFFP is available 24/7 and sits directly below a street light for safety. Church members and other volunteers restock it almost daily, with some items donated in-kind and others purchased with donated funds. We are working to identify the items that are most in-demand and will update that information for donors’ awareness as needed.
How to contribute: There is a bin on the 5th Street porch of the church where donations can be left any time. Funds donated by check or through PayPal will be used exclusively to stock and maintain the pantry. (See details below.) We plan to set up a wish list on Amazon as an additional option for providing in-kind donations.
Supplies needed: We accept non-perishable, unexpired food: canned or boxed (no glass), in both individual and household sizes, either ready-to-eat or needing to be cooked. Good options include:
- Cans and containers of tuna, soup, vegetables, fruit, sauces, etc.
- Shelf-stable milk, such as Parmalat, both plain and chocolate-flavored
- Boxes and bags of pasta, beans, cereal, crackers, entree mixes, etc.
- Individually wrapped granola bars, snacks, and treats
- Individually wrapped sets of plastic utensils
- Toiletries, either individual or travel-size (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, etc.)
Spiritual nourishment: The pantry now includes prayer cards that patrons can take, along with blank paper for anyone who wishes to leave a prayer request with the parish. We’ll include any such requests in our weekly worship.
Role of St. John's and others: St John’s is glad to house the LFFP on our property, to provide storage space, and to tend to restocking and maintenance. However, we consider this labor of love to be a neighborhood project and not ours exclusively! Please contact us if you’d like to get involved. We’d love to have you participate!
The Rev. Mary Cushing, Deacon
deaconmaryc@gmail.com
Donating Funds to Stock the Little Free Food Pantry
Checks should be made out to St. John's with LFFP in the memo. Checks can be dropped off or mailed to St. John's Episcopal Church, 415 S. Lexington St., Arlington, VA 22204.
Online contributions can be made via PayPal using this link.
St. John’s is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so donors might be able to deduct contributions on their taxes. We will provide a receipt.
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Dedication of the Little Free Food Pantry
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024
There was a balloon artist, face painting
and light snacks for all.
Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation about installing a Free Food Pantry in Glencarlyn. In late spring, Mohammad Dannan proposed that he make the Pantry installation part of his BSA Eagle Project, and Troop 99 has now given their endorsement.
Location and Installation - Labor Day weekend, Dannan and his fellow Scouts set in place a Pantry at the Lexington entry to St John’s parking lot, which was formerly located at the Central Library. Also a BSA Eagle Project, the Pantry served many people at its Library location. When the Library closed it last summer, it was reclaimed by the Gaylord family who had installed and supported it; it has now been refurbished and is ready to go back into service.
Need in Our Community - Glencarlyn has been identified recently as one of several Arlington neighborhoods with increasing numbers of people in need of support. Free Food Pantries operate on a model of good will. Good will expressed through people who have resources to share doing so out of compassion and concern for the whole community. Good will practiced when anyone with need is able to use the Pantry easily; food is available, Pantry is well-maintained, access is safe and easy because there is no barrier of limited hours or required eligibility threshold.
Role of St. John's and Others - This Pantry is a new resource for Glencarlyn. St John’s is glad to house it on our property, to offer space to store donations, and to attend to restocking and maintaining the Pantry in good condition. We are encouraged by the large number of people who worked together to stock and sustain it at its previous location and the support we felt through the community conversations we’ve shared over the last months. We not only welcome, we need!, assistance in this effort to provide help to local families. Please stop by Sunday afternoon or Monday evening this month to learn more, or call 703 671-6834 - we’re eager to work together!
The Rev Julie D Bryant
Background from an article which appeared in the March Village View.
A Little Free Food Pantry in Glencarlyn?
St. John’s is considering placing a Little Free Food Pantry (LFFP) on our grounds. A meeting will be held Tuesday, March 12 at 7 pm at St. John’s to discuss the project. Stephanie Hopkins, Arlington's Food Security Coordinator, will join us with a perspective on Arlington food insecurity, including the problem in our area of the county. The meeting is an opportunity for Glencarlyn residents to discuss the project with individuals who had supported the LFFP at Central Library for years. St. John’s wants to have full community input before making a final decision.
Food insecurity affects at least 7.1% of residents in Arlington. This means that over 16,000 of our neighbors are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food for all members of their households at some point during a year.
Surprisingly, the “Arlington County Food Security Strategic Plan” (page 4) reports “The highest rates of food insecurity are found in the Glencarlyn neighborhood at 14.6% and Buckingham/Ashton Heights neighborhoods at 14.5%”.
Glencarlyn residents have shown their concern by generously contributing thousands of pounds of food to Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) over the past few years. With the participation of the community, St. John’s Church has heavily supported AFAC through food and monetary donations. Additionally, volunteer parishioners participate monthly in AFAC’s food bagging program.
Little Free Food Pantries are an important resource for those who use them. A very successful one was established on the Central Library grounds in 2020 that had considerable community participation, ensuring the pantry was always stocked with nonperishable food. They made sure that the right types of food were stocked, and generally managed the operation of the pantry.
Unfortunately, the library closed that Little Free Food Pantry in 2023. The original organizers are seeking an alternate location and have asked St. John’s if they would host it.
The food pantry is a 4 X 4 foot box about 18 inches deep that sits atop four posts and is stocked with only non-perishable foods. Individuals in need of some food items can stop by at any time. The signage says “Take what you need, give what you can.”
St. John’s welcomes any thoughts that anyone would like to share.
