Little Free Pantry will be the first of its kind in Coaldale

Coaldale Town Council waives development permit and operational fees for the Town’s Very First “Little Free Pantry.”

With support from the Town of Coaldale, the FCSS Youth Do Crew will oversee the project.

During its April 25 Regular Council Meeting, Coaldale Town Council voted unanimously to waive all development permit and operational fees associated with the installation and maintenance of Coaldale’s very first “little free pantry”.

First piloted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2016, “little free pantries” are little wooden boxes that resemble “little free libraries” but that contain food, personal care, and paper items instead of books. More specifically, they are give-and-take boxes intended to encourage community members to give what they can and take what they need in order to strengthen food security in a given community.

Since 2016, little free pantries have been built in a long list of communities across North America and now Coaldale will join that list. At the Town’s April 25 Regular Council Meeting, representatives from the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS)’ Youth DO Crew came before Council to give a presentation on installing and maintaining a little free pantry in the public-right-of-way adjacent to The HUB. Impressed by the presentation, Council then voted unanimously to waive all development permit and operational fees associated with the pantry’s installation and maintenance.

The pantry’s proposed location will ensure that the pantry is easily accessible by car, on foot, or with a mobility aid such as a scooter or walker. “Being in close proximity to The HUB will create an easy access point for FCSS clients entering the building to access the programs and services offered out of the facility, increasing residents’ awareness of and interaction with the project,” said Melanie Messier, Planner for the Town of Coaldale. “As a zero-barrier access point to emergency food and hygiene items, everyone will be encouraged to reap the benefits of the pantry”.

With the development permit and operational fees now waived, volunteers from the Youth DO Crew are excited to get started on the project. “Thank you to the Mayor and to Council for unanimously voting to approve the structure and waive operational fees for installation”, said

Shannon Rawluk, Youth Do Crew Coordinator and FCSS Staff. “We are so excited to have the opportunity to bring a new give-and-take resource to our community later this year!”

Council is also excited to see the project come to fruition and confident that the DO Crew, along with FCSS staff, will do an excellent job in overseeing the project. “On behalf of Council, I would like to thank the FCSS Youth DO Crew for bringing this idea to our attention and for taking a lead role in building and overseeing Coaldale’s first little free pantry”, said Town of Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn. “I have no doubt that the construction of this pantry will have a positive impact on our community and help keep Coaldale a place where neighbours help neighbours in times of need.”