ELMSDALE: A community organization and a local Elmsdale coffee shop are teaming up on a project aimed at showing the kindness of the community.
Sara Wood, host of Life Schoolhouse Enfield a community barter based organization, and Pam McNeill, owner/operator, of Cup of Soul in Elmsdale are working together to provide a spot for a Community Pantry.
“We want people to be able to access food easily without having to feel like they have to ask for it”, said Wood. “We want them to walk up to the pantry and take what they need or if they have extra, leave what they can. Also if they may need something like a can of tomatoes they can take that and not have to go to the store. They can just come to the Community Pantry and get it.”
Who is the community pantry for?
“It’s not only for people to take food items but if you have extra and you want to deposit or donate you can either drop it off to Pam at Cup of Soul or at Lifeschoolhouse on Oldham Rd”, said Wood. “It’s a take with you what you need and drop off if you can. It’s not a food pay per say. It’s for people who need things.”
Wood said if you’re able to drop off items or to donate to it and you can do that, but it’s not going to be policed.
“It’s not going to be something where we’re checking to see who’s taking what,” she said.
The community pantry is a spot where non-perishable food items will be dropped so other members in the community who may need it can make use of it.
McNeill said she’s all about community and our community if great so the partnership with Wood and Life Schoolhouse Enfield made perfect sense.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “I think just bringing these leadership groups together is really cool.”
It’s Wood’s hope to get the East Hants Family Resource Centre more involved with the project and they have spoken with Cathy MacDonald who’s said that they want to be part of the project. Also, they plan to talk with area youth and get them involved through the local schools, Youth Links and the local 4H program.
“We’ll get those local organizations or groups that want to be involved to participate because it’s all about community,” said Wood.
Watch for the Community Pantry to be setup outside the Cup of Soul on Hwy 214 in Elmsdale in the next few weeks.
For more information, checkout Life Schoolhouse Enfield on Facebook.