Little Yellow Free Pantry - It Takes a VILLAGE!

Have you ever wondered about who donates to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and why?

Maybe it’s just me 😊 .  After all, I am pretty close to the project.  But I sometimes think, “Out of all of the places that people can donate and help out, how did we get so lucky that they chose the pantry??”.

So, this week, instead of just wondering, I asked! 

A very kind neighbor and frequent donor agreed to answer some questions so I could get to the heart of what drives them to be so kind.  Their answers definitely inspired me and I think they will you, too!  Please check them out.

Some members of the Pantry Crew hard at work :) 

Information about how YOU can get involved and help feed the community is at the end of this piece.

Why do you choose to donate to the Little Yellow Free Pantry?

Oh, so many reasons! The biggest is that I know that not everyone who has food insecurity qualifies for benefits like SNAPs, WIC, and official food banks, and that even if they do, those benefits are pretty meager.  I like that the LYFP includes both staples like beans, rice, soup, etc., and “fun things” like condiments and spices. Also, necessities like soap, shampoo and dishwashing liquid that aren’t covered by SNAPs.

Also, it is easy, because of the online shopping angle and because it’s very close to where I live, so it’s fairly easy to drop off a contribution on most days.

On a personal level, I haven’t had to rely on public assistance (knock on wood), but in my younger years I certainly was helped by friends and family, and I know what it’s like to live on a tight food budget. Not gonna lie, I still can’t open a can of tuna for myself, although I’m happy to donate it.

 

What do you like to donate?  What is your favorite thing to donate?

I like to mix it up! I do like knowing what staples the pantry is urgently short of, so when Susan sends out a list, that guides my choices that week. When it seems like the basics are covered, it’s fun to shop for condiments, spices, and other treats that help make meals more interesting. And sometimes I like to throw in something different -- like a can of beets, sauerkraut or collard greens – that someone might be craving as a change of pace. And I really get a kick out of finding something that isn’t on the list but that turns out to be a hit with the guests.

Note from Kindness Activist:  You are soooo good at mixing it up!  When I see a bag of donations from you, I get excited just wondering what might be in it! 

Sometimes you send things and sometimes you shop locally and bring them over.  Just curious why both methods (I love that it is both ways!).

Well, that gets into my main method for donating. I get points for using a credit card that is tied to my Amazon account, so when I build up a lot of points, I go to the online wish list to cash them in. When I take a vacation or have to shell out for car repair or new glasses, the LYFP benefits! I know, I could use the points for myself, but I don’t really need more stuff, and somehow knowing that I will be able to use the points to help other people makes the cost of that new dental implant less painful. (I know that shopping at Amazon is controversial for a lot of people, but remember that I am getting the pantry food from there free by spending money at other places, so ….)

 

As for the local shop, I enjoy scouting the grocery bargains, and there, too, there are often bonus points in play. This week, for example, buying three cans of black beans, which the pantry seems to always need, earned me some extra bonus points, which can be “spent” on things either for myself of to donate. I like to compare the prices of the local store with Amazon and Costco, for example, and when I can buy locally for less, I try to do that. The local supermarket specials also can inspire what I donate that week.

Note from Kindness Activist:  this act of generosity makes my heart so happy.  As you said, you totally COULD use those points for things for yourself.  The fact that you choose to use them to be kind…  You are amazing.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

How does it make you feel to help out the pantry?

It’s fun! I really do use it as retail therapy at times, but deeper than that, it’s an expression of gratitude for the life I have enjoyed. And I do like thinking about the person who gets a reprieve from worrying about how to feed their kids that day or who gets to have a different flavor than usual.

Note from Kindness Activist:  we feel the same way!!  Knowing that the pantry helps spice up someone’s day and fill bellies makes us feel GOOD.

Ever met a pantry guest when you came over or see someone getting food at the LYFP?

A couple of times there has been someone getting food at the pantry. I don’t put things right into the pantry unless Susan asks me to (!), but once when she did, I did quietly offer some things to a man who was perusing the selection, but I tried not to make a big deal if it because if I were in his position, I wouldn’t want someone making a big deal of it.

 

Anything else you would like to say?

I have learned a lot by paying attention to what Susan says the pantry guests need. I hadn’t, for example, thought about the number of people who do have housing but don’t have much in the way of cooking facilities, so that they really do need foods that are microwaveable or otherwise simple to prepare. I do try to donate a variety of things for people in different situations: People who can cook in kitchens and need ingredients, people who don’t have full kitchen access but have some way to heat foods, and people who really don’t have a way to store or cook much of anything.

I know that there will always be someone who grabs the convenience food even if they don’t really “need-need” it – although most of us occasionally reach for convenience food – and there will probably always be someone who doesn’t need free food at all but takes it anyway. I worked in an office where there were always a few of those people. But that doesn’t outweigh, to me, the benefits of helping the people who do need what’s in the LYFP.

 

I also would like to remind people that they don’t have to donate foods that they don’t agree with or believe in, whether that’s meat or sugar or GMO or whatever. I’m not interested in donating toaster pastries or sugary drinks, so I don’t. I get that kids like them, but I’ll spend my money (and points) on other stuff, and that’s ok. Someone else might not want to donate pork products like Spam, and that’s ok. Donate what resonates with you, and someone will want it!

Note from Kindness Activist:  the Pantry has taught the Pantry Crew a LOT, too!  Like you said, we hadn’t thought about the people who have a roof over their head but no access to a kitchen.  In our community, many people rent rooms in homes, and some of those rentals do not come with a shared kitchen.  We also went into this project with the (wrong) assumption that most of the guests who come to use the pantry would not have housing.  While we DO have guests experiencing homelessness, we also have many who have housing but not enough money left over after paying rent to put food on the table.   We have lots of guests who come after working long shifts, too.  They are productive, contributing members of our community who just need a little assistance.  Thanks for helping give them that!!

And there you have it!!  An interview with an amazingly kind human who supports Kindness Activist and the Little Yellow Free Pantry!!

If you would like to get involved and help out, we would be so very grateful.  As of June 13, 2025, the most needed items are:

     ·      Canned meat of any kind

·      Canned vegetables of any kind

·      Single serving boxes or cups of cereal of any kind (we are out of these)

·      Salt and/or pepper

·      Shampoo and/or conditioner (full sized bottles please)

·      Single serving drinks of any kind – we go through a lot of these, and now that it is hot they will go even faster (we have enough milk and water, need any other kind)

·      Condiments of any kind (mustard, soy sauce, mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, etc. – full size please, not restaurant size packets)

 

If you live in the metro DC area and would like to shop and deliver items, please place them in the tan and green plastic bin on our front porch.  We will bring them inside and store them until they are placed in the pantry.  Please do not put them directly in the pantry.  This system allows us get food to more people and ensure variety for all.  If you need the address for drop-off message me or email:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com . 

If you would like to order online and have items shipped, any store is great!  If you need our shipping address please reach out.

If you would like to order from the Amazon wish list for the pantry, items will ship directly to us.  That list can be found here:  LYFP Wish List