Another sharing pantry is available in Baker City
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, September 8th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — (Information from New Directions Northwest) Sharing Pantry’s are for those not easily able to meet everyday food and personal needs. Sharing Pantry are for a hungry kid after school or a home cook who forgot to buy tomatoes. They are for everyone! Our motto is “Take what you need, leave what you can.”
· Brick-and-mortar food pantries are better at meeting pervasive needs. Some individuals and families fall through the cracks. Our Sharing Pantry’s serve as a safety net. For example, many brick-and-mortar food pantries require an application. Most have hours of operation. Anyone may access our Sharing Pantry’s. Whether giving or taking, everyone approaches the Sharing Pantry the same way, mediating the shame that accompanies need.
· Jenny Blair, Kim Mosier through Systems of Care Wraparound Initiative, and other community partners started this project in 2018, through fundraising and generous donations.Today, through funding from the Baker County Local Community Health Partnership, we have three Sharing Pantry’s up and running. One in the Eagles Parking lot at 2935 H Street, one at the Blue Mountain Baptist Church 2998 8th Street, and at Churchill School. There are other pantries around Baker City (some food and some books) but those ones are not affiliated with this particular Sharing Pantry project. The more the merrier though!
· We have been working with the Baker Sheriff’s Office, and the communities in Richland, Halfway and Huntington to get Pantry’s out in those areas as well.
· Donations need to be non-perishable food items. Items that don’t require a can opener are preferred. Items that we love seeing in the food pantry: canned vegetables, canned meat, box meals, baking supplies/spices.
· We ask that people do NOT leave items that aren’t non-perishable food in the pantries. We do however accept personal care items, and seasonal need items such as gloves, hats, sunscreen.
· We are currently looking for someone to host a pantry in South Baker. Please contact Haley Hueckman (hhueckman@ndninc.org) or Jenny Blair (jblair@ndnince.org) with any questions or concerns.
