Community food cupboards proposed to help address food insecurity
Residents who want to help combat food insecurity in Smiths Falls may soon notice more little food pantries popping up across town.
Committee of the whole received a report Monday, July 13 encouraging residents, community groups and organizations to establish community cupboards on private property as part of a grassroots effort to make food and personal care items more accessible to those in need.
The initiative grew out of work by the Smiths Falls Equity For All Committee and its Food Insecurity Working Group after council declared food insecurity a community issue earlier this year. The town has developed information packages, promotional material to help residents safely establish community cupboards.
Clerk Kerry Costello told committee the goal is to encourage residents to become involved.
“Community pantries aren’t prohibited in Smiths Falls,” Costello said. “We’d actually like to encourage them more and have people actually put pantries on private property.”
The report outlines basic guidelines, including recommendations that cupboards remain off municipal rights-of-way, include only appropriate food and hygiene products, and be maintained by a volunteer “host” responsible for checking expiry dates, cleanliness and pest control.
Coun. Jennifer Miller welcomed the initiative, calling food insecurity a growing concern.
“We’re in a real crisis,” Miller said. “It’s not unique to Smiths Falls, but I’m really proud of the work that we’re doing in this town to try and address that.”
Mayor Shawn Pankow, who first proposed the idea several months ago, said the concept is intentionally simple.
“The principle really is pretty straightforward: leave what you want and take what you need,” he said.
Pankow said several residents have already expressed interest in hosting community cupboards.
He added that the cupboards offer people a discreet way to both donate and access necessities.
“It provides an opportunity for real discretion. People can discreetly leave things there and people can discreetly pick them up and, again, just help support the food insecurity challenges in their community.”
Community cupboards on private property would not require town approval. Organizations wishing to install one on municipal property would require an encroachment agreement outlining maintenance, liability and other responsibilities.
Coun. Peter McKenna said those agreements are already used by the town for other installations on municipal property and would clearly define who is responsible for maintaining a cupboard.
McKenna also noted that neighbours don’t have to take on the project alone.
“I’m aware of other communities where two or three neighbours got together and built one together rather than individually supporting one,” he said.
Residents interested in starting a community cupboard can find information, design plans and examples through the Little Free Pantry network, which has similar projects across North America.
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Not sure about this.
This would work on a first come first gets principle. What happens if one person/one family takes it alll?
Also, what happens if the door is not closed and the wild animals get in.
Good idea but too many what if’s.