Little Free Pantry Tool Kit

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There’s a new way to help feed hungry kids…And Kiwanis is part of it. We’re

putting the food where the kids are! You and your Kiwanis club can be part of it. You have probably heard the term “Food Insecurity.” It sounds alarming. That’s because it is ALARMING! So let’s face it first so we can get to solutions.

What is child food insecurity and what does it look like? Food insecurity for a family, in simple terms, happens when that family doesn’t know where their next meal - or the money to buy food for that meal - is going to come from. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines it as lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food Insecure children are those children living in households experiencing food insecurity. It doesn’t always mean that the household is food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing, medical bills or utilities, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods. Or, the household may be “food insecure” most or all the time. Either way, it’s hard for any person who experiences it. You can learn more about local food insecurity and the food banks in your community by exploring data from Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap project. You can find the web site at http://map.feedingamerica.org Little Free Food Pantries in the Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis District Little Free Pantries are approved as an official Nebraska-Iowa District of Kiwanis project. All clubs in our district are encouraged to consider it for their community. Believe it: There is hunger in every community, including yours. Based on the same concept as Little Free Libraries, the Little Free Pantries (LFP) are another approach to get at least some “emergency” food to the people who desperately need it. Lots of Kiwanis clubs have “planted” Little Free Libraries and filled them with books so kids and adults can take them, read them, keep them or put them back.

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Little Free Pantries look and work the same…but help meet an even greater need. We who are blessed fill them with food and hungry kids and adults take what they need. Those in need can approach the little pantry at any time to take anything they need. Those who want to give are just as easily able to approach

the little pantry and leave items. The little pantries hopefully help a lot to silence the stigma and shame that divides folks who give and folks who need. The convenience of this project ensures everyone has access to free food and useful items no matter what their circumstance. These pantries are small, so they can't stock the quantity and variety other food pantries can. But they can help fill some gaps…especially in the tummies of little kids. Responsibility of each Kiwanis Club Here is a Little Free Pantry project in a package.

Follow these ideas and add your own dreams, and your Kiwanis club will have another winner-project. Identify a location(s) for your Little Free Pantry Safety first. Your location should not place anyone in an unsafe place as they fill the Little Free Pantry with food or take your gifts of food from it. Will increased traffic to the site be a problem or danger, for example. Determine whether private or public property best suits the need. You will, of course, need to get permission either way. Whether you are working with a property owner or your city, give them a copy of these pages so they will fully understand the service project. It will be a good idea to give all the neighbors a copy of these pages, too, and listen if they have any concerns or suggestions. Great visibility and really good accessibility are both important to location. Design “The Look” for your Little Free Pantry Feel free to follow any of the designs in the photos included on these pages. Or make your Little Free Pantry “unique.”

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If you Google “Little Free Pantry” you will see lots of designs. If your little pantry will be on private property, share your plans with the property owner for his or her approval and suggestions. Then, get crafty! We have attached 2 designs from the Little Free Pantry of Omaha web site that you might consider. Construct your Pantry There may be somebody in your Kiwanis club who does woodworking…or somebody you know (maybe even a Kiwanis prospect)…who would be happy to do the building work. It might be a fun project for a group to get together and design and put together your Pantry. Look for already made “boxes.” Yard sales, for example. Old shelves may just need a door and new decoration to turn them into a Little Free Pantry. If you tell the seller your plan, you may get a bargain price. If so, be sure to take a photo of the finished project to them. An old television cabinet? Old kitchen cabinets?

Paint the completed Little Free Pantry. Kid’s organizations may want to do the decorating if you ask them. Be sure to give them credit in newspaper reports, to your Kiwanis district and on the pantry itself. Add a printed sign that explains the purpose and welcome people to add food if they can and to take food if they need it. A Little Free Pantry is usually secured to a 4x4 inch post with a 4x4 bolt down, which can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store. The 4x4 post is cemented in place. Advertise your Little Free Pantry

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Brand your Little Free Pantry to show that it is sponsored by Kiwanis…like the one in the photo at left done by another good service club. Kiwanis logos are

available on the Kiwanis International Web site.

Take photos of the LFP and submit them to your local newspaper and other media. You can write your own story for the media and, if not, give them a copy of these pages. Send your photos and story to the District Secretary, too. Notify the NE-IA District Governor and District Secretary of the date of installation so they can attend, if they are available. Include Little Free Pantry activities on the Club Secretary’s monthly report.

A few other things What is the liability in case someone gets sick or gets a splinter, for example? Consult The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996. Determine if it applies to you and manage your project in accord with its tenets. Commit to stocking the Little Free Pantry weekly (at a minimum). If others are adding to it, you may only have to check to make sure there are plenty of food items in it. In addition to food items, consider stocking your pantry with personal items such as deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, if there’s enough room. Commit to maintaining the Little Free Pantry in great condition…make repairs as needed. Never abandon a Little Free Pantry. And these additional guidelines: Please be mindful that the items may stay in the Little Free Pantry for a period of time. It’s best not to place items that will go bad in heat or cold. This is not a place for expired or open food items. If you wouldn’t use it yourself, don’t leave it.

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No clothing or books. The Little Free Pantry is not big enough. Toiletries and baby care items are acceptable IF there is enough space for them. Food is most important. Items NOT allowed: Any product that has been opened or partially used - Food without labels

Rusty cans - Expired items - Glass of any kind Suggested items for stocking a Little Free Food Pantry

You can make a local decision regarding items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, sunscreen, baby wipes, diapers, shampoo, laundry soap, kleenex, dog food, and fun summer items such as bubbles crayons, sidewalk chalk, and frisbees. You might set up a Facebook page for your Little Free Pantry and post updates. You could also post giving guidelines, comments and suggestions.

Peanut butter Jelly Cereal Instant Oatmeal Noodles Canned fruit and vegetables Macaroni and Cheese Soup Whole Grain Fig Newtons Dried fruit (Craisins, Raisins, Banana chips) Fruit roll ups Beef Jerky

Dried beans, couscous, quinoa Pasta Rice Fruit cups Nuts Granola Bars Peanut butter crackers Dehydrated Veggie Chips Snack crackers (Goldfish) Baby food Tuna packets

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Items NOT allowed: Any product opened or partially used. Food without labels.

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Open Gable Pantry Design

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Shed Roof Panty Design

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