BATAVIA, NY (WKBW-TV) — The plan that Jen Noon, Marianne Skye and Sharon Kubiniec had was to help people who were feeling the pinch of the Pandemic where it hurts the most. Sharon says "We just saw that the need, food insecurity in Batavia was so great."
It started with a mini fridge and quickly grew into a large outdoor pantry with plenty of shelves, a full refrigerator and freezer. The pantry sits outside the office Sharon manages for her husband's dental practice.
The official name of the set-up is "Little Free Pantry". Marianne says "With a pantry this size you can really help your neighbor out in a very real and personal way."
Jen says her motivation for getting this started was that at one point in her life she was on the receiving end of a food pantry. She says "I'm no longer in those situations and I want to give back to the community that supported me."
The women say that the shelves are filled up in the morning, but by the end of the day they are empty again. There are canned goods, frozen foods and even fresh produce here.
The Batavia Rotary Club and local businesses have stepped up to support the pantry, but they can always use donations of food, money and time. You can find the The Little Free Pantry of Batavia on Facebook.
