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Tottenham branch of New Tecumseth Public Library starts Community Pantry

December 15, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With the rising price of food, and many more people needing help in the community, staff at the Tottenham Branch of the New Tecumseth Public Library have come up with a solution for those who may find themselves in need with nowhere else to turn.

The Branch has started the Tottenham Community Pantry with food available for those who need it and can’t wait for the next time the local food bank is open.

The kitchen area at the back of the library now has food available both in cupboards and a refrigerator that was donated.

“We were already collecting food, but I got the idea, that why does the food have to sit there for a whole week when people could be using it?” explained branch manager, Lory Whittemore. “I thought we could have a spot here for people having a food emergency. It doesn’t replace the food bank, they still do their job. People can run out of food between times they are open. We’re working with the food bank, not competing with them in any way. We make it clear this area is for emergencies – you’ve got to eat every day. We don’t judge or question anyone who comes in here – if they need it, they need it.”

For the most part, they are accepting donations of non-perishable foods as they want to be careful about the proper handling of food.

Vince’s Market in Tottenham has stepped up and will be helping out with some items. Lory said that Vince’s is knowledgeable about handling foods and will make donations that are suitable and healthy.

The Tottenham Lions Club has given a financial donation and one of the Club’s members donated the refrigerator.

“This is our pilot project, we’re hoping to expand it if it goes well,” explained Tottenham Community Pantry project coordinator, Ashley Boyle. “We’ve been talking about doing this for a while. We only started this in the past month. Anyone can come here during our open hours. It’s a completely judgment-free zone. For people who would like to drop off food, they can come to the main circulation desk, or we have a drop-off box where people can just place items in there. The only thing is we don’t take perishable items.”

While meat products and similar foods cannot be accepted for safety reasons, they do accept donations of fruits and vegetables. Obviously, those items should be fresh and consumable. The project also accepts donations of personal hygiene products that many people need.

The project follows the ‘take what you need and leave what you can” model, asking people to take only what they can use and need while leaving other items available for others in need.

Staff only ask that visitors keep the cupboards tidy and respect the area.

You can drop off donations any time the library is open.

For visitors needing food, there is the main entrance at the front of the building or the back entrance on the side of the library which opens directly into the pantry area.

Visitors do not need to identify themselves or register to access needed food items.

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