The eye-catching yellow and green painted wooden pantry endearingly named “Nick’s Nook” was launched on Wednesday (July 7) just outside of Northside Community Church.
Born from the desire of neighbourhood group Magical Hearts to build community and resources for those facing food insecurity, the small pantry was created in partnership with United Way’s “Hi Neighbour” initiative.
“I think the pandemic has shown us just how important neighbourhood and community is in terms of quality of life,” says Kim Winchell, the Senior Director of Community Impact and Investment at United Way.
And even though the province is opening back up again, this doesn’t mean that the complex, widespread issue of food insecurity will disappear with the pandemic.
“Food security doesn’t just fall on one organization, or one level of government or even on individual to solve. We all need to be participating and making sure that people that need food are getting it in respectful, dignified ways,” says Winchell.
By having non-perishable food, personal hygiene items and period products available through donation, Winchell hopes that Nick’s Nook will offer a judgement-free resource for community members who may be needing some assistance.
“Any of our faith-based institutions, they are the cornerstone of connection and support for people. So, it just made sense to launch it there where people already feel connected, where there is no judgement to drop things off or pick up things that you need,” she says.
The small pantry is reminiscent of the Little Libraries’ book cubbies, where you can drop off a book you’ve finished reading and potentially exchange it for one that somebody else has left.
The pantry is attended to daily by volunteers to be cleaned/disinfected and to check for expired products.
