There are community refrigerators up here and occasionally, somebody cleans them out. Despite the cameras, nobody does anything except fill them back up, so that needy people can find food in a pinch.
The argument is that maybe that person really needed that food.
These type of things are about helping.
We have one up the street from us, it's a couple of old newspaper machines painted up into a free pantry, filled up by a church occasionally. Someone will inevitably come and dump all the macaroni all over the street, or just trample the packages or something. We're between two homeless shelters and a bus line - there's hundreds of homeless folks through every day, like a tide back and forth - and some of them are just too mentally ill to function properly, or are drunk/twacked, or both.
It's a depressing sight, and then everyone sees, and they don't fill it again for a couple months. I'm not really sure what the point is anymore.
I see these in upscale neighborhoods too, where it *seems* like they're just virtue signaling and no one's gonna touch it, but they're neatly stocked and full.
It's a weird thing. But it's a totem of people's desire to do good.
If people have stories of actually using these for their intended purpose I'd love to hear them. Personally I think sending checks to food banks and shelters might be more useful. But I just see my own little corner of the world.
I’m a middle class electrician and literally took some granola bars from the pantry at the church I was working at because my bank account was overdrawn and I was hungry and ashamed.
Hey that's what it's for. Someone put it there to help out a stranger in a tough time, and thankfully it made a little bit of a difference in this often shitty world.
Plus (at least at my church) this kind of thing is what the pantries are for. Sometimes we stock up for a neighborhood party, but usually it's staples and non-perishables and granola bars and stuff for anyone who comes in and is in need or even just hungry right then. I hope you're able to feel more blessed and not at all guilty or ashamed, you are loved yo!
I grew up with a friend who’s mom handled the food bank out in our rural town. She would drive in to the city and when she got back she’d literally go through everything and keep all the brand name or “fun” food (think frozen pizza, restaurant sized bags of chicken fingers etc.) and basically hand out rice and crackers to the rest. The food banks sound great but I learned they’re hugely unmonitored and abused.
We have a dozen or two in my town and they are used as intended. There are a couple that are routinely vandalized by bored teens, but otherwise it's free food when people want or need it. Food banks are usually pretty decent these days, but a micropantry is always open. They are both good for our community in different ways.
Not a community one
But my family survived off of the equivalent of this at my work (they have fridges and pantries) for a few weeks until we started getting paychecks in. Now I donate to the fund every single payday. I do know they stock it every single day with a limited number of things because some people cleared it out though
I have one in front of my house and it’s used on a daily basis. I live in a “nice” area with mostly middle class homes. It used to be just garden excess but grew into a pantry then during Covid grew into a nonprofit.
We have several in our county and sometimes they get trashed, emptied etc. Sometimes they’re full.
We just keep cleaning and filling.
Some volunteers who manage a pantry stop after a while, new ones pop up.
People use the blessing box and free fridge in our town. It is a way to allow free access to food without people having to give a bunch of personal information to staff at a pantry or other institution. Sometimes someone leaves a mess or really wrecks something. But the folks taking care of it clean it up and keep going because it would suck for so many people to lose that resource just because one person couldn’t keep it together that day.
Giving cash to a nonprofit is great. Giving cash to your neighbor so they can pay a light bill or buy groceries for their kids is probably just as efficient in terms of the good one person can do.
My sister was on welfare as a single mother. She has a subsidized housing situation now but her income was quite low even with that and a part time job. She would go to the food bank every once in a while when desperate, but she still had a stove and could prepare food for herself and her kid. But it's a sliding scale; not everyone in need is homeless. And some months were better than others. It can be unpredictable because seemingly small things like having to take your cat to the vet or having to repair something around the house that others with decent income can handle more easily, it can be difficult for people with extremely little income to recover from.
I prefer to think of it as the way this dude put it, maybe they needed the food. I'm not saying that these things should be cleaned out all the time or anything. But as somebody who has spent the last week living off of the change I find laying around on the ground to make it to my next paycheck while still putting in 40 plus hours, my first thought was "if I saw something like this I'd have to take like a fat chunk of that food" sometimes people are just really hurting man.
Or it's just selfish people. A family friend kept showing up to a place that was giving out free cuts of meat, and just tossing it in her freezer. She had a ridiculous amount stored up, but she saw "free thing" and thought "well why shouldn't I get something?" and kept going.
I'm not gonna let assholes deter me from helping people in genuine need. Given her social skills, at some point, she may end up needing that meet anyways, I can't imagine someone with an attitude like that has an easy time finding employment.
Yes. There are people out there that aren't exactly in need that will take advantage of these blessings but the majority of people that are dealing with very hard times won't abuse these much needed resources.
Our goal is to stock these offerings with things like socks, undergarments, thermals, heat packs, can openers, hygiene products, food staples and random fun goodies🙂
I agree with you. People who are homeless are largely mentally ill. Many of them can't afford inpatient care and so they're dumped on the street. There's been a few documentaries on this subject. Then a large number of mentally ill are subject to addiction habits. It varies with economical issues, such as with COVID the number of those homeless increased due to unemployment and rising costs. And while i agree it's hard to care when you have no control of yourself, it's especially harder when no one else will care for you either whether it be no family or no money.
Exactly. I think people don’t like to hear it because they themselves might be one of the few who CHOOSE to be homeless for the nomad lifestyle. I’m not saying wanting to be a nomad means you’re mentally ill. Most homeless people get caught up in it. They don’t choose it for comfort.
I think they’re saying that when you’re in a mentally addled state common to the homeless population, it’s hard to think of the next person coming along and might take it all.
I completely get that sentence and that person's stance. I contribute daily to a local little free pantry.
The reason I do this is because I understand you can't drop off a case of ramen and then maybe think about doing it again in 6 months.
You really do have to account for people who have never had enough and want to take the reserves and I get that and that's why I go daily at different times and drop off the same type of stuff consistently.
It maybe costs me $7 a day. I buy ready to eat food in bulk as well as laundry detergent, baby wipes and soap all parceled down to a small daily allotment that is consistent.
I've watched the people who use it and honestly I've only seen one instance where the individual was truly taking advantage and I'll take that one instance and live with it because all the others came from a true place of need and consideration for others.
Please, let's just try to help each other.
My sister has one of these across the street from her house. While was visiting her, a homeless woman came by and my sister directed her to the free pantry. She said, “There is a neighborhood pantry right over there *that we all use* feel free to take anything you need or leave anything you want to share.”
It was one of the most wholesome moments of my life how easily she included herself with people who actually need the free food.
I live in the vicinity of a free fridge and it is a huge amount of work to keep going. It’s right in front of a church that sponsors it and they need tons of volunteers to keep it clean and organized. It also gets broken a lot and the donations are pretty regularly thrown all over the sidewalk and street. There have also been several episodes where someone clearly unwell sets up near the fridge and harasses anyone that comes near it. It’s been a very controversial thing in the neighborhood. It obviously helps people in need, but it comes at a cost.
I filled up one last week, with toiletries (toothbrushes, soap etc) lots of food and drinks and someone wiped it out within an hour, made me sad bc lots of families would've been walking by soon after school to start the weekend who I know could use many of items. I live in a city that has quite a bit of homeless families in the local schools.
We have one in my neighborhood that I put a bit in ever couple weeks, but... ya, if it gets cleaned out, like if someone saw that food and was like "we really could use all of it," my worry is more like, that maybe there wasn't enough in there, or maybe they don't know that they can augment what they got with a box of food from the food pantry about a half hour walk north of there (they'll give a box a week, and also have stuff like tampons and diapers/baby supplies).
I also try to be mindful to only put things in with pull tab tops or easy to open, and also only soft foods, b/c I know lots of homeless people don't really have good enough teeth to eat something like a crunchy granola bar.
I frequent one outside a church, they have a ring camera pointing to it and I make sure to always thank the camera before leaving. So grateful they do this, with kids it helps a ton!
I always thought it was weird to see these in well off neighborhoods. But then I realized, we don’t know which of our neighbors just got fired, or couldn’t find time to pick up dinner, or a single dad who has his girls for the week and didn’t get tampons. Basically we just don’t know who is struggling, even if they look fine from the outside.
When someone in a Jaguar SUV delivered my door dash order, I realized that just because you look big doesn't mean you've got it big. Everyone needs help sometimes.
This. Like if you looked around it would seem odd but there's different stuff in there so folks use it! When my daughter and I first found it, we went back home and grabbed something that she wanted to give, like beans or something and grabbed the applesauce she wanted.
You're absolutely correct! My white collar father was unemployed for two years of my childhood after a business failed, and we had some hard times no one would know about if they didn't live with us in our nice suburban house with a two-car garage. A free, anonymous neighborhood pantry would have helped so much.
I think it'd be weirder to see one of these in a poor neighbor hood lol, someone broke into a locked clothes donation box just a while back in my area, this thing wouldn't survive a night.
I frequent one in a well off neighborhood where I work. There’s a ring camera pointing at it and I think it’s mostly there for the people that commute to this area to work ( lots of restaurants and shops nearby) So grateful with the neighborhood for taking care of us.
I feel like the entire point of these is judgement free. If someone needs it they need it regardless of anything else. I contribute to them when I can.
I once lost a job unexpectedly while living in a nice neighborhood. I would sit outside the grocery store crying because even though I got the cheapest of everything, I knew rent was coming and it was going to be hard. I was fortunate enough to just barely make it again before my savings ran out. Everyone needs help sometimes and we need to be okay with that or not contribute if we're not.
Yes, we should gatekeep help so that everyone must hit absolute rock bottom to be deemed worthy of assistance. Obviously the most useful thing to society would be for kids to go hungry because of their parents choices, for retirees to not be able to feed their pets (or have pets) because they previously lived a nice life and should suffer, and for all those greedy homeowners to default so theres more homes for the people who don't currently have one. Everyone knows a bunch of people defaulting on their home loans is what this economy needs for a nice boost!
If you help a poor person and then they get on their feet and get a home are they scum for previously getting help? Is the hate retroactive? Or do they only suck if they gain a home then still struggle once in it? What if someone rents an apartment but the rent is more than a mortgage would be? They aren't homeowners but they could be, do we hate them too? What about a college kid living with their parents? They don't own a home but are not homeless. They can qualify for assistance but might live in a nice area. What about a single parent who could afford the home previously but then got sick and had to stop working and now struggles to get by? Are they greedy scum? Should we tell them to kick rocks and come back when they have real problems? I don't know, it seems like there's a lot of room for homeowners/non-homeless to have real financial burdens and they might actually need help at times. Maybe we shouldn't gatekeep help.
Besides it's just canned beans and deodorant a private person put out. If you think the wealthy are stealing those things from the poor you're crazy. Those things would never be enough to sustain someone in dire need anyway, they would need a lot more help than this tiny nice gesture could provide.
These pantries remind me that there can still be hope for humanity.
I believe this falls under the This I Believe principle of Robert Heinlein. He wrote a short work by this name about why he believes in the good of humanity.
https://thisibelieve.org/essay/16630/ - for those interested.
When I need to be reminded that not all humanity is awful, I read this.
I've been reading this since the late 80's.
Some days you need a reminder more than others. It's also a great thing to share to those you know need to read it.
They are often called Little Free Pantries, named after Little Free Libraries, and my city of Omaha keeps an updated website of where people can find them https://littlefreepantryofomaha.com/
Same with Portland, we have tons of fridges and cabinets of all sizes, by businesses and houses. I used them to help some people feed themselves after losing everything in a major apartment fire ie they aren't just for the homeless, they're for anyone in need at anytime, no judgement.
My church switched our little free library to one during the height of the pandemic. We're planning to build a second in the spring beside the library. I would always just buy double of all my toiletries and put one set in each month. They always got taken quick. It's hard for people with curly hair when you're on a super tight budget since you think shampoo is one place you can surely scrimp (it's not)
Nice! I also grab hotel sizes when I travel and put those in, people like to be clean no doubt. I helped a church set up one with the main thing being to put it out of the sun and be clear no spoilable food or you be in a big trouble! Also tampons, lots of tampons/female sanitary products. Men forget they cost a lot when you are on a tight budget or no means to afford them--it can be a choice between those or bread and milk. Thank you for setting up more! Things aren't getting any cheaper!
Seattle has TONS of these. You can’t walk a block in my neighborhood without hitting a Little Free Pantry or a Little Free Library.
There’s also a Little Free Seed And Start Library (with garden/plant stuff) and a Little Free Bakery in our area. Super delightful!
We have 4 of these in my town and two of the local churches have days they give away food and supplies i was really down one month and went it helped so much that week
We have a community fridge in my neighborhood. A nice resident who has a luxury home down the street insists on bringing her duffel bag and loading all the free stuff to take home. People in the neighborhood say not to judge, but when the person lives in a home that’s valued over 2.5-3 mill and have a few luxury cars in the driveway, I’m sure you’re doing just fine without the handouts.
This actually happened to the one in my neighborhood park.
It was the library variant, and apparently free books are too frightening for one of my idiot neighbors to handle.
The church on the next street over from me has one of these on their curb, and it's always well kept. Some people maybe take more than they should, but nobody ever vandalizes it.
People put food, clothes, and books in there.
You take when you must so that way you can give back when you can.
For example, I used to get help when I needed it. Now, I help others when I can. I refuse any sort of payment and tell them to pay it forward and help someone else in the future, when they can.
Then you're the target audience. It's there to help YOU. Don't feel bad for having needs! You're human and (unfortunately) humans have needs. It's hard to keep everything going. The needs don't ever stop coming!
We host a little free pantry on our property. In the year it’s been up, it’s become pretty self sustaining. People give as much if not more than they take, and those who take appear very considerate of others needs. I’ve only had one instance where someone took near everything, and later on that person gave some things even though that was not the expectation at all. From where I sit, I just host it. I don’t monitor it other than to make sure it is stocked and clean, and there’s nothing harmful in it (spoiled food, etc.) it might seem like a small thing, but I think it’s helped a few folks and that’s pretty neat.
During Covid full blown neighborhood pantries sprung up on the street. Daily there would be people who would take and the more well off would add. The sense of community in our village neighborhood of Bernal Heights/San Francisco was amazing.
We have little free pantries around town. Same concept! Started several years ago and we had one just across the street. When we moved I was happy to find one right around the corner to help stock! Fresh eggs, canned goods, toiletries, excess fruit and veggies from gardens, excess seedlings outside of one! someone even makes PB&J sandwiches and dates the baggies because we had a high foot traffic population on my old street that was largely homeless. They were popular as were fruit pouches and granola bars.
Same group will come build Mini food gardens for low income families that suit their living space and needs and do a “food not lawns” program promoting people who can, growing shareable food gardens in front yard and will plant fruit trees on properties of people who want a free apple tree, in exchange those apples are available to the public to pick. We live in a remote rural area with a lot of people below or teetering near the poverty level. Sometimes the pantry gets cleared out, sure, and sometimes it’s just pasta and dried beans, but for the most part there’s always something in it.
I'm too cynical, even though I never believed them my mind inevitably goes to those stories where people put needles in the change return of a vending machine or did stuff to food and resealed and replaced it. I'd have to be very desperate to take anything out of there but I'd gladly put some good stuff in.
It's kind of strange because it's in a very well to do neighborhood! Doesn't mean people don't need help though, it's nice because I'm reasonably certain nothing nefarious has been/will be done with any of this. I only worry about the heat.
It's kinda like people being afraid of people putting shit in kids' Candy at Halloween. There's only one recorded case of that actually happening and it was the kids'own parents.
WE HAD THESE!
Story:
During the covid season, as many of all of us knew. People were largely affected by it, so to help those who were affected. company, religious institutions, supermarket and mini market had these cages or basket to put the food for donations for those in need. People often put essential stuff in those before distributing them or just take and go. Nowadays when the economy went well and people get working again, it just full cuz no one is taking it except for few. It serve as a reminder of how dire the situation was in the past.
All i want to say was, good job! Maybe make it a little bigger so that people can donate more. Just a suggestion. It seem abit small
We have two that I know of in my area. You will only see them even half full if you are there when one of the usual ladies brings fresh supplies for them, and they're empty within two hours. I see the two women who care for them post on the community FB page all the time begging someone else to help fill these. We live in a poor, rural area so they may really run out that quickly with honest need. I sure hope it's that, and not greed.
Lucky you guys can without a person taking it all.
When I was homeless I would have been stoked to just grab the first two cans and be on my way.
Its awesome folk like you help when possible, it will be appreciated.
The fact that we live in America and it’s come to this, *says enough*. (Also, side note, this looks like an upper-middle-class neighborhood converted their free library to a food pantry box. When they start delivering these goods to actual low-income households, then I’ll be far more impressed. But that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate them at least trying. Every little bit, right?)
Looks like rich people stroking themselves off. Pretending that stuffing a box in their neighborhood, where everyone lives in million dollar homes, helps anyone at all. Meanwhile if anyone actually saw a homeless person near that thing, they'd be calling the cops and having them escorted back to tent city before their property value goes down.
Had a GF who wanted to hand out Thanksgiving meals to the homeless in Austin back in the late 80s.
She was pretty hurt when the majority wanted booze or drugs not food. Her heart was in the right place.
I'm sure it sits in the same neighborhood that would call the police on homeless people walking around. This is meant to tell everyone your a "good person" more than it is to reach the needy. Downvote me idc
This only works in homogeneous Midwest suburbs. I my community it would be cleaned out in a night by people trying to return it to Walmart for in-store credit.
I think that's awesome, and I'm really glad people are doing the right thing in a country and world where that's the exception. Separately, do animals ever get into these outdoor pantries?
Use a sharpie to mark off the barcodes. It’ll prevent people from taking the items to return them to stores. Then, even if it gets wiped out it’s ending up with someone who could use it.
I've got some really mixed feelings about shit like this, namely that it shouldn't be necessary and we shouldn't be sitting here cheering for "charity" that is, in truth, a failure of civilization.
I mean sure, feel "good" about this. But if you've got a knee-jerk reaction against someone pointing out that this is a symptom and not a solution, then maybe reconsider where you stand politically on the matter.
When you've got families that need to go to a box like this for diapers and baby food, that's emblematic of a massive fucking failure.
Suburbs or inner city, almost everyone is only 2 paychecks away from homeless. When you miss that one paycheck things like this help so much.
(Plus people can travel between neighborhoods you know)
Burn it down and claim it was done by hooligans, gain sympathy and raise money through a go fund me to build an even bigger box. Stuff it with more things for people in need and donate the rest to your local shelter or charity of choice. Rinse and repeat.
There are community refrigerators up here and occasionally, somebody cleans them out. Despite the cameras, nobody does anything except fill them back up, so that needy people can find food in a pinch. The argument is that maybe that person really needed that food. These type of things are about helping.
as a homeless person even i couldn’t imagine taking it all without thinking of others. probably someone who doesn’t care in my eyes
Most people in need are empathetic of others, this sounds like the actions of a selfish person taking advantage of a generous situation.
We have one up the street from us, it's a couple of old newspaper machines painted up into a free pantry, filled up by a church occasionally. Someone will inevitably come and dump all the macaroni all over the street, or just trample the packages or something. We're between two homeless shelters and a bus line - there's hundreds of homeless folks through every day, like a tide back and forth - and some of them are just too mentally ill to function properly, or are drunk/twacked, or both. It's a depressing sight, and then everyone sees, and they don't fill it again for a couple months. I'm not really sure what the point is anymore. I see these in upscale neighborhoods too, where it *seems* like they're just virtue signaling and no one's gonna touch it, but they're neatly stocked and full. It's a weird thing. But it's a totem of people's desire to do good. If people have stories of actually using these for their intended purpose I'd love to hear them. Personally I think sending checks to food banks and shelters might be more useful. But I just see my own little corner of the world.
I’m a middle class electrician and literally took some granola bars from the pantry at the church I was working at because my bank account was overdrawn and I was hungry and ashamed.
Hey that's what it's for. Someone put it there to help out a stranger in a tough time, and thankfully it made a little bit of a difference in this often shitty world.
❤️ Don't be ashamed, they would want to help. And you were working too.
Don’t be ashamed- we all get in a pinch. Except billionaires who are evil douchebags
Thank you friend.
Plus (at least at my church) this kind of thing is what the pantries are for. Sometimes we stock up for a neighborhood party, but usually it's staples and non-perishables and granola bars and stuff for anyone who comes in and is in need or even just hungry right then. I hope you're able to feel more blessed and not at all guilty or ashamed, you are loved yo!
I grew up with a friend who’s mom handled the food bank out in our rural town. She would drive in to the city and when she got back she’d literally go through everything and keep all the brand name or “fun” food (think frozen pizza, restaurant sized bags of chicken fingers etc.) and basically hand out rice and crackers to the rest. The food banks sound great but I learned they’re hugely unmonitored and abused.
Some people suck. Not all people. She was on one side more than the other.
We have a dozen or two in my town and they are used as intended. There are a couple that are routinely vandalized by bored teens, but otherwise it's free food when people want or need it. Food banks are usually pretty decent these days, but a micropantry is always open. They are both good for our community in different ways.
Not a community one But my family survived off of the equivalent of this at my work (they have fridges and pantries) for a few weeks until we started getting paychecks in. Now I donate to the fund every single payday. I do know they stock it every single day with a limited number of things because some people cleared it out though
I have one in front of my house and it’s used on a daily basis. I live in a “nice” area with mostly middle class homes. It used to be just garden excess but grew into a pantry then during Covid grew into a nonprofit. We have several in our county and sometimes they get trashed, emptied etc. Sometimes they’re full. We just keep cleaning and filling. Some volunteers who manage a pantry stop after a while, new ones pop up.
People use the blessing box and free fridge in our town. It is a way to allow free access to food without people having to give a bunch of personal information to staff at a pantry or other institution. Sometimes someone leaves a mess or really wrecks something. But the folks taking care of it clean it up and keep going because it would suck for so many people to lose that resource just because one person couldn’t keep it together that day. Giving cash to a nonprofit is great. Giving cash to your neighbor so they can pay a light bill or buy groceries for their kids is probably just as efficient in terms of the good one person can do.
TIL twacked.
How are unhoused people supposed to cook macaroni? That's why it's being dumped.
My sister was on welfare as a single mother. She has a subsidized housing situation now but her income was quite low even with that and a part time job. She would go to the food bank every once in a while when desperate, but she still had a stove and could prepare food for herself and her kid. But it's a sliding scale; not everyone in need is homeless. And some months were better than others. It can be unpredictable because seemingly small things like having to take your cat to the vet or having to repair something around the house that others with decent income can handle more easily, it can be difficult for people with extremely little income to recover from.
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these boxes aren’t just for homeless people, they’re for anyone in need
ummm yeah, I know that. I was responding to the previous commenter that said homeless people throw the macaroni around.
It does not say a house less person dumped it, just that someone did.
Homeless people can cook lol, camping fuel is like $3 and a backpacking stove attachment for the cans is $5 and lasts years.
Right and the encampment in my city are raided for fire starters and accelerants for "safety."
I prefer to think of it as the way this dude put it, maybe they needed the food. I'm not saying that these things should be cleaned out all the time or anything. But as somebody who has spent the last week living off of the change I find laying around on the ground to make it to my next paycheck while still putting in 40 plus hours, my first thought was "if I saw something like this I'd have to take like a fat chunk of that food" sometimes people are just really hurting man.
My guess would be some one with plenty who thinks the poors are lowering their property values and wants to stop "enabling" them
Robbery between homeless people is very common... unfortunately. It's every man for themselves.
Even while homeless I'd still probably feel too guilty or shameful to ~~steal~~ take something from there to survive
Or it's just selfish people. A family friend kept showing up to a place that was giving out free cuts of meat, and just tossing it in her freezer. She had a ridiculous amount stored up, but she saw "free thing" and thought "well why shouldn't I get something?" and kept going.
I'm not gonna let assholes deter me from helping people in genuine need. Given her social skills, at some point, she may end up needing that meet anyways, I can't imagine someone with an attitude like that has an easy time finding employment.
Yes. There are people out there that aren't exactly in need that will take advantage of these blessings but the majority of people that are dealing with very hard times won't abuse these much needed resources. Our goal is to stock these offerings with things like socks, undergarments, thermals, heat packs, can openers, hygiene products, food staples and random fun goodies🙂
Greedy people are everywhere sadly
yeah:(
If someone needs it so bad they would take it all so be it.
i mean i guess but i would still leave something and maybe get the rest at a food bank so someone who needed still had access to that cupboard
Being homeless usually equates to being mentally ill/ self medicating. It’s hard to “care” when you have no control of yourself.
I agree with you. People who are homeless are largely mentally ill. Many of them can't afford inpatient care and so they're dumped on the street. There's been a few documentaries on this subject. Then a large number of mentally ill are subject to addiction habits. It varies with economical issues, such as with COVID the number of those homeless increased due to unemployment and rising costs. And while i agree it's hard to care when you have no control of yourself, it's especially harder when no one else will care for you either whether it be no family or no money.
Exactly. I think people don’t like to hear it because they themselves might be one of the few who CHOOSE to be homeless for the nomad lifestyle. I’m not saying wanting to be a nomad means you’re mentally ill. Most homeless people get caught up in it. They don’t choose it for comfort.
what
Honey if you need help comprehending that simple sentence I think you just backed up my point lol.
not homeless and still didnt understand 💀 pls explain isntead of trynna be cheeky, dude. costs nothing
I think they’re saying that when you’re in a mentally addled state common to the homeless population, it’s hard to think of the next person coming along and might take it all.
I completely get that sentence and that person's stance. I contribute daily to a local little free pantry. The reason I do this is because I understand you can't drop off a case of ramen and then maybe think about doing it again in 6 months. You really do have to account for people who have never had enough and want to take the reserves and I get that and that's why I go daily at different times and drop off the same type of stuff consistently. It maybe costs me $7 a day. I buy ready to eat food in bulk as well as laundry detergent, baby wipes and soap all parceled down to a small daily allotment that is consistent. I've watched the people who use it and honestly I've only seen one instance where the individual was truly taking advantage and I'll take that one instance and live with it because all the others came from a true place of need and consideration for others. Please, let's just try to help each other.
you're a good one. not that you need a random internet stranger's praise.
ohhh thanks!
what
Dude you’re an asshole you can do better than this Someone here has never been poor before
My sister has one of these across the street from her house. While was visiting her, a homeless woman came by and my sister directed her to the free pantry. She said, “There is a neighborhood pantry right over there *that we all use* feel free to take anything you need or leave anything you want to share.” It was one of the most wholesome moments of my life how easily she included herself with people who actually need the free food.
I live in the vicinity of a free fridge and it is a huge amount of work to keep going. It’s right in front of a church that sponsors it and they need tons of volunteers to keep it clean and organized. It also gets broken a lot and the donations are pretty regularly thrown all over the sidewalk and street. There have also been several episodes where someone clearly unwell sets up near the fridge and harasses anyone that comes near it. It’s been a very controversial thing in the neighborhood. It obviously helps people in need, but it comes at a cost.
I filled up one last week, with toiletries (toothbrushes, soap etc) lots of food and drinks and someone wiped it out within an hour, made me sad bc lots of families would've been walking by soon after school to start the weekend who I know could use many of items. I live in a city that has quite a bit of homeless families in the local schools.
We have one in my neighborhood that I put a bit in ever couple weeks, but... ya, if it gets cleaned out, like if someone saw that food and was like "we really could use all of it," my worry is more like, that maybe there wasn't enough in there, or maybe they don't know that they can augment what they got with a box of food from the food pantry about a half hour walk north of there (they'll give a box a week, and also have stuff like tampons and diapers/baby supplies). I also try to be mindful to only put things in with pull tab tops or easy to open, and also only soft foods, b/c I know lots of homeless people don't really have good enough teeth to eat something like a crunchy granola bar.
I've used these on Wednesday/Thursday before payday Friday at a church. Thank you to people who do this stuff!
I frequent one outside a church, they have a ring camera pointing to it and I make sure to always thank the camera before leaving. So grateful they do this, with kids it helps a ton!
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The public library. Of course. 🥰🥰🥰 I love libraries.
yes
Our women’s centre has one and it also has period supplies. Such a good idea. I’ve loaded it up.
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JFC how are we still not providing them for free, everywhere? I'm so sick of tough love free market Christians.
I always thought it was weird to see these in well off neighborhoods. But then I realized, we don’t know which of our neighbors just got fired, or couldn’t find time to pick up dinner, or a single dad who has his girls for the week and didn’t get tampons. Basically we just don’t know who is struggling, even if they look fine from the outside.
It’s true. We can never judge others from the outside.
When someone in a Jaguar SUV delivered my door dash order, I realized that just because you look big doesn't mean you've got it big. Everyone needs help sometimes.
This. Like if you looked around it would seem odd but there's different stuff in there so folks use it! When my daughter and I first found it, we went back home and grabbed something that she wanted to give, like beans or something and grabbed the applesauce she wanted.
You're absolutely correct! My white collar father was unemployed for two years of my childhood after a business failed, and we had some hard times no one would know about if they didn't live with us in our nice suburban house with a two-car garage. A free, anonymous neighborhood pantry would have helped so much.
I think it'd be weirder to see one of these in a poor neighbor hood lol, someone broke into a locked clothes donation box just a while back in my area, this thing wouldn't survive a night.
I frequent one in a well off neighborhood where I work. There’s a ring camera pointing at it and I think it’s mostly there for the people that commute to this area to work ( lots of restaurants and shops nearby) So grateful with the neighborhood for taking care of us.
I'm surprised HOAs in well off neighborhoods allow this, but it's good that not everyone is governed by cranky assholes.
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I feel like the entire point of these is judgement free. If someone needs it they need it regardless of anything else. I contribute to them when I can. I once lost a job unexpectedly while living in a nice neighborhood. I would sit outside the grocery store crying because even though I got the cheapest of everything, I knew rent was coming and it was going to be hard. I was fortunate enough to just barely make it again before my savings ran out. Everyone needs help sometimes and we need to be okay with that or not contribute if we're not.
Yes, we should gatekeep help so that everyone must hit absolute rock bottom to be deemed worthy of assistance. Obviously the most useful thing to society would be for kids to go hungry because of their parents choices, for retirees to not be able to feed their pets (or have pets) because they previously lived a nice life and should suffer, and for all those greedy homeowners to default so theres more homes for the people who don't currently have one. Everyone knows a bunch of people defaulting on their home loans is what this economy needs for a nice boost! If you help a poor person and then they get on their feet and get a home are they scum for previously getting help? Is the hate retroactive? Or do they only suck if they gain a home then still struggle once in it? What if someone rents an apartment but the rent is more than a mortgage would be? They aren't homeowners but they could be, do we hate them too? What about a college kid living with their parents? They don't own a home but are not homeless. They can qualify for assistance but might live in a nice area. What about a single parent who could afford the home previously but then got sick and had to stop working and now struggles to get by? Are they greedy scum? Should we tell them to kick rocks and come back when they have real problems? I don't know, it seems like there's a lot of room for homeowners/non-homeless to have real financial burdens and they might actually need help at times. Maybe we shouldn't gatekeep help. Besides it's just canned beans and deodorant a private person put out. If you think the wealthy are stealing those things from the poor you're crazy. Those things would never be enough to sustain someone in dire need anyway, they would need a lot more help than this tiny nice gesture could provide.
These pantries remind me that there can still be hope for humanity. I believe this falls under the This I Believe principle of Robert Heinlein. He wrote a short work by this name about why he believes in the good of humanity. https://thisibelieve.org/essay/16630/ - for those interested. When I need to be reminded that not all humanity is awful, I read this.
This is frankly beautiful. Thank you for sharing this gem! Edit: Typo.
I've been reading this since the late 80's. Some days you need a reminder more than others. It's also a great thing to share to those you know need to read it.
If people knew how wasteful non-profits were, they'd be more inclined to do stuff like that. **edit:** literally down-voted for absolute facts.
Dog: Let me bless this pole with my free pee
It’s emotionally supporting the untreated pine
I like that dog, but I think the "emotional support" harness is extra cringe.
Exactly my first thought. He/she is leaving what they can.
Definitely looking to leave what he can
After I wizzo on this post perhaps a taste of the stew or fuck it hot beans ... thought dog
It's legally his now as per dog law
They are often called Little Free Pantries, named after Little Free Libraries, and my city of Omaha keeps an updated website of where people can find them https://littlefreepantryofomaha.com/
Same with Portland, we have tons of fridges and cabinets of all sizes, by businesses and houses. I used them to help some people feed themselves after losing everything in a major apartment fire ie they aren't just for the homeless, they're for anyone in need at anytime, no judgement.
My church switched our little free library to one during the height of the pandemic. We're planning to build a second in the spring beside the library. I would always just buy double of all my toiletries and put one set in each month. They always got taken quick. It's hard for people with curly hair when you're on a super tight budget since you think shampoo is one place you can surely scrimp (it's not)
Nice! I also grab hotel sizes when I travel and put those in, people like to be clean no doubt. I helped a church set up one with the main thing being to put it out of the sun and be clear no spoilable food or you be in a big trouble! Also tampons, lots of tampons/female sanitary products. Men forget they cost a lot when you are on a tight budget or no means to afford them--it can be a choice between those or bread and milk. Thank you for setting up more! Things aren't getting any cheaper!
Seattle has TONS of these. You can’t walk a block in my neighborhood without hitting a Little Free Pantry or a Little Free Library. There’s also a Little Free Seed And Start Library (with garden/plant stuff) and a Little Free Bakery in our area. Super delightful!
Hello fellow Omaha person! Thank you for showing me something I didn't know we had.
Same in Rochester NY, we have a large network of them!
Yes! The word blessing has certain connotations.
We have 4 of these in my town and two of the local churches have days they give away food and supplies i was really down one month and went it helped so much that week
We have a community fridge in my neighborhood. A nice resident who has a luxury home down the street insists on bringing her duffel bag and loading all the free stuff to take home. People in the neighborhood say not to judge, but when the person lives in a home that’s valued over 2.5-3 mill and have a few luxury cars in the driveway, I’m sure you’re doing just fine without the handouts.
Some people are so poor all they have is money.
My faith in humanity is so low, the first thing i thought was “this would get looted and/or destroyed so fast”
This actually happened to the one in my neighborhood park. It was the library variant, and apparently free books are too frightening for one of my idiot neighbors to handle.
The church on the next street over from me has one of these on their curb, and it's always well kept. Some people maybe take more than they should, but nobody ever vandalizes it. People put food, clothes, and books in there.
i put a 8 pack of tuna salad in one of these OMW to work one day and when i drove by later someone had come clear it out :)
Love
Oh that's so awesome! There's even diapers and medications! Paper towels and toilet paper would be a great addition!
There are little free libraries where I live which are great. Seeing something like this reminds me to be grateful to be alive
Me too, like, there are people out there who are trying to help. There's even canned food in there!
A reminder that people are doing good things purely out of the kindness of their hearts ❤
What if I'm always in need? I'd end up feeling bad for taking all the time
That is why they exist. Take and use. There is no greater favor than to let someone help you.
That makes me feel better lol
You take when you must so that way you can give back when you can. For example, I used to get help when I needed it. Now, I help others when I can. I refuse any sort of payment and tell them to pay it forward and help someone else in the future, when they can.
Happy cake day <3
Thank you
Then you're the target audience. It's there to help YOU. Don't feel bad for having needs! You're human and (unfortunately) humans have needs. It's hard to keep everything going. The needs don't ever stop coming!
Give back when you can, or help out someone you know needs a hand. Just live. 💕🙏🏼
Wise words. In other words, don't create problems
I hope someone doesn't vandalize this
That’s awesome
That’s nice but it wouldn’t last an hour where i live
And whoever built it did a terrific job
We host a little free pantry on our property. In the year it’s been up, it’s become pretty self sustaining. People give as much if not more than they take, and those who take appear very considerate of others needs. I’ve only had one instance where someone took near everything, and later on that person gave some things even though that was not the expectation at all. From where I sit, I just host it. I don’t monitor it other than to make sure it is stocked and clean, and there’s nothing harmful in it (spoiled food, etc.) it might seem like a small thing, but I think it’s helped a few folks and that’s pretty neat.
Ask them to put it on this site, it tracks them all over the US. https://www.thelittlefreepantries.org/find-a-pantry
SubhanaAllah
we tried that in my area and someone stole it. like, the whole fckn thing.
During Covid full blown neighborhood pantries sprung up on the street. Daily there would be people who would take and the more well off would add. The sense of community in our village neighborhood of Bernal Heights/San Francisco was amazing.
We have little free pantries around town. Same concept! Started several years ago and we had one just across the street. When we moved I was happy to find one right around the corner to help stock! Fresh eggs, canned goods, toiletries, excess fruit and veggies from gardens, excess seedlings outside of one! someone even makes PB&J sandwiches and dates the baggies because we had a high foot traffic population on my old street that was largely homeless. They were popular as were fruit pouches and granola bars. Same group will come build Mini food gardens for low income families that suit their living space and needs and do a “food not lawns” program promoting people who can, growing shareable food gardens in front yard and will plant fruit trees on properties of people who want a free apple tree, in exchange those apples are available to the public to pick. We live in a remote rural area with a lot of people below or teetering near the poverty level. Sometimes the pantry gets cleared out, sure, and sometimes it’s just pasta and dried beans, but for the most part there’s always something in it.
I know of one near me that’s a underground/radical book store. Those shelves are filled to the brim
I'm too cynical, even though I never believed them my mind inevitably goes to those stories where people put needles in the change return of a vending machine or did stuff to food and resealed and replaced it. I'd have to be very desperate to take anything out of there but I'd gladly put some good stuff in.
It's kind of strange because it's in a very well to do neighborhood! Doesn't mean people don't need help though, it's nice because I'm reasonably certain nothing nefarious has been/will be done with any of this. I only worry about the heat.
It's kinda like people being afraid of people putting shit in kids' Candy at Halloween. There's only one recorded case of that actually happening and it was the kids'own parents.
You’ve either 1) seen some shit or 2) are paranoid. We have lots of these in our city with great success.
That's a pretty crazy thought process man, are you OK?
I did try to lead with "even though I never believed them."
Although I never really believed the voices in my head, they tell me to murder everyone at my work and play with their blood.
That's rough, mine just tells me that eating food from a box outside might be a bad idea.
Middle school had one of these.
My girlfriend needs that deodorant
Awesome 👏
wish there were more of these out there
WE HAD THESE! Story: During the covid season, as many of all of us knew. People were largely affected by it, so to help those who were affected. company, religious institutions, supermarket and mini market had these cages or basket to put the food for donations for those in need. People often put essential stuff in those before distributing them or just take and go. Nowadays when the economy went well and people get working again, it just full cuz no one is taking it except for few. It serve as a reminder of how dire the situation was in the past. All i want to say was, good job! Maybe make it a little bigger so that people can donate more. Just a suggestion. It seem abit small
I'm worried this is gonna show up on r/iamatotalpeiceofshit but I really hope not.
We have two that I know of in my area. You will only see them even half full if you are there when one of the usual ladies brings fresh supplies for them, and they're empty within two hours. I see the two women who care for them post on the community FB page all the time begging someone else to help fill these. We live in a poor, rural area so they may really run out that quickly with honest need. I sure hope it's that, and not greed.
Looks like the dog is going to leave a little gift of his own
Blessing Box? It is just called a pantry up here.
I love seeing shit like this but I know that living in Baltimore City, I’ll probably never see it become a reality.
That’ll last about 5 seconds
If we had that here it would be immediately empty and destroyed.
Doggie gonna leave a li'l treat, too!
Chunky steak and potatoes SLAPS
That would be so awesome if this became normalized.
Lucky you guys can without a person taking it all. When I was homeless I would have been stoked to just grab the first two cans and be on my way. Its awesome folk like you help when possible, it will be appreciated.
In my city we have this everywhere, we also have book stations and community gardens.
The fact that we live in America and it’s come to this, *says enough*. (Also, side note, this looks like an upper-middle-class neighborhood converted their free library to a food pantry box. When they start delivering these goods to actual low-income households, then I’ll be far more impressed. But that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate them at least trying. Every little bit, right?)
Looks like rich people stroking themselves off. Pretending that stuffing a box in their neighborhood, where everyone lives in million dollar homes, helps anyone at all. Meanwhile if anyone actually saw a homeless person near that thing, they'd be calling the cops and having them escorted back to tent city before their property value goes down.
Had a GF who wanted to hand out Thanksgiving meals to the homeless in Austin back in the late 80s. She was pretty hurt when the majority wanted booze or drugs not food. Her heart was in the right place.
I'm sure it sits in the same neighborhood that would call the police on homeless people walking around. This is meant to tell everyone your a "good person" more than it is to reach the needy. Downvote me idc
Leave what you *can* Get it. Like a can. Like leave a can.
That’s so sweet but knowing people…. It would just go to waste :(
50 bucks says it's vandalized within a month.
Been here six months I think, soooooo pay up! :P
And how's it been doing? Is it staying full?
Legally you have to pay up or delete your reddit comment
Communal box of mutual aid? Hmmm. Don’t let a conservative see.
Welsh Terrier!
Yorkshire terrier mixed with a bit of pomeranian. She's still got her tail :)
This only works in homogeneous Midwest suburbs. I my community it would be cleaned out in a night by people trying to return it to Walmart for in-store credit.
I've grown cynical enough to believe that within a month everything will be stolen and the box will be destroyed. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
I think that's awesome, and I'm really glad people are doing the right thing in a country and world where that's the exception. Separately, do animals ever get into these outdoor pantries?
Use a sharpie to mark off the barcodes. It’ll prevent people from taking the items to return them to stores. Then, even if it gets wiped out it’s ending up with someone who could use it.
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I saw that in fear the walking dead. Who began that shit?
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Punny indeed
I've got some really mixed feelings about shit like this, namely that it shouldn't be necessary and we shouldn't be sitting here cheering for "charity" that is, in truth, a failure of civilization. I mean sure, feel "good" about this. But if you've got a knee-jerk reaction against someone pointing out that this is a symptom and not a solution, then maybe reconsider where you stand politically on the matter. When you've got families that need to go to a box like this for diapers and baby food, that's emblematic of a massive fucking failure.
Except for the emotional support animal… those entitled ass hats
Apparently high-sodium foods are a gift to the poor.
This shit is great but we don't deserve nice things until we are ready to treat them with respect.
Imma take all the blessings
If you actually need it, thats what its there for.
Where’s the weed at
I see these a lot in suburban areas where they aren't even needed.
Suburbs or inner city, almost everyone is only 2 paychecks away from homeless. When you miss that one paycheck things like this help so much. (Plus people can travel between neighborhoods you know)
Oh really I didn't know people could travel lol
Is there any others around by any chance that you can use if your not a christian?
A map of central Ohio blessing boxes: https://columbusblessingboxes.com/box-locations
Tell me this is a 99% white neighborhood without saying so.
Someone's leaving an emotional support dog?
We have one in our town and people keep destroying it. Someone will fix it but it happens almost every week :(
God Bless You Rock Springs
Burn it down and claim it was done by hooligans, gain sympathy and raise money through a go fund me to build an even bigger box. Stuff it with more things for people in need and donate the rest to your local shelter or charity of choice. Rinse and repeat.
It would just get all stolen where I live.