CLIFFORD – A community pantry in Clifford is being relocated, due to weather issues.
The pantry, which holds nonperishable foods and hygiene products for those in need, opened last July as a pilot project, at the Clifford Celebration Square.
The Community Food Share Pantry was created through a partnership between Minto Pride, the Clifford Connects community group and the town’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
“The intent is if people have extra food they can put it in the pantry,” town director of economic and community development Belinda Wick-Graham told the Advertiser.
The pantry runs on a “leave what you can, take what you need” motto.
“The challenge has been the weather extremes … in the summer it gets too hot, so we have to monitor the food to make sure the cans aren’t leaking or bulging,” she said.
Then in the winter “it was worse because things would freeze.”
She noted the availability of food and products became limited.
“The other element was … the [door] closure would freeze so people would bang on it … and in the process cause damage to the doors,” Wick-Graham said.
The partners approached the County of Wellington as its library branches are “inclusive and welcoming spaces.”
Wick-Graham noted the county has other pantry projects occurring at branches in Palmerston, Erin and Elora.
The idea is to place the pantry inside the Clifford library lobby (7 Brown St. N.), away from the damaging elements.
“In Clifford, they have the library in one side of the building and the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team on the other side,” she explained. “In the middle there is a lobby.”
According to Wick-Graham, both parties were happy to have the pantry installed. It’s currently getting its doors repaired and should be available inside the library around May 9.
“Unfortunately, it won’t be available 24/7 but it will be open when either the library or medical clinic are open,” she said. “Five or six days a week people will be able to access it.”
After initially being funded by the three partners, the pantry now runs on public donations.
“Some people thought it would be in competition with the [Clifford] Food Bank but it’s definitely not … it’s just another option for people to access food if they need it,” Wick-Graham said.
The two resources differ as food bank users may only access it once every 30 days, while the pantry is open to all, no questions asked.
“If you need anything, then you go and take what you need,” Wick-Graham said.
She noted the group is always looking for donations of non-expired goods and volunteers to keep an eye on the products.
Popular items needed include:
- spaghetti;
- pasta sauce;
- school snacks;
- oatmeal packages;
- granola bars;
- toothbrushes/tooth paste; and
- feminine hygiene products.
The pantry will soon be available at the library and stands in memory of DEI committee member Michael Martin, who died before his idea came to fruition.
“His wife passed a couple days after him, it was so devastating,” said Wick-Graham.
“This was a passion for him to make sure people in the community had food.”
At the opening in July, his family members were the first to place food in the pantry, honouring his devotion to the cause.
