Pop-up pantries
Jacksonville volunteers providing food for those in need
Food, personal hygiene products, diapers and notebook paper are things you can probably find around your house.
The things we take for granted, however, are the same things another family may need.
That’s why a group of volunteers in Jacksonville have worked together to set up six food pantries in low-income neighborhoods around the city.
Debbie Fulton, founder of Jacksonville Pride; Jerry Sanders, founder of The Pencil Store; and Amber Govan, a community volunteer in the process of starting her own nonprofit organization, came together to make their personal goals a combined reality.
The idea came from Facebook posts about free pantry boxes popping up in Fayetteville, then Sherwood.
“It looked like they were really helping people in Fayetteville. I thought it was interesting. Food banks typically have stipulations — ours don’t,” Govan said.
Fulton said you must be a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to receive help from many food banks.
Govan spoke to Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher about the pantries, and Fletcher supported the idea.
“With a growing hunger problem
across our nation, I believe this creates another avenue that can provide some source of relief for those with food insecurity,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said he anticipates a positive impact for those in need, as well as those who have the ability to provide and want to help in the community.
“Amber brought my attention to this project several months ago, and I’ve been very impressed with her dedication to this program and her allowing us to participate in this service that may seem small to some but, to those with needs, makes a big impact,” he said.
“The mayor was very supportive and picked the locations,” Govan said.
Fulton said the pantries are necessary because they’ll help hungry children.
“They’ll help a lot of hungry folks who are going without food,” Sanders added.
The first free pantry was installed July 27 on the corner of Graham and Boys Club Drive near the Jacksonville Boys & Girls Club.
Five more pantries will be put up in the coming weeks, Fulton said.
Fulton said locations will include Jacksonville Community Development at 109 S. Second St. and the Jacksonville Recycling Center at 1300 Marshall Road.
Other locations are in the process of being approved.
Mars Laundromat, at 1807 S. Arkansas 161, will be the designated drop-off area for people who want to donate food for the pantries, she said.
Sanders said the first pantry box was built and donated by Cindy and Sean Donohoe of Sherwood. Three of the pantry boxes were built and donated by Ashland Performance Materials, and two of the boxes were built and donated by Wright’s Cabinet Shop for the community project.
Whit Davis Lumber donated supplies and made modifications to the first pantry box, and Ingle Fence Co. donated the poles and concrete to stand the pantries up, he said.
Fulton said her phone number will be posted on all of the pantries so people can notify her if the pantries are damaged, or if they are empty and need to be restocked.
Fulton said Jacksonville Pride became a nonprofit organization in September 2014.
“I started Jacksonville Pride when rumors said that the city was going to turn Sunnyside into a retirement center for the military. We started it to try to save our neighborhood and homes,” she said.
Jacksonville Pride has taken part in several fundraisers and community events, such as the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Bucket Challenge, Bowling for Pets and the Jacksonville Citizen Police Academy.
The organization has also bought new shoes for schoolchildren, provided coats for people in need and started a Sunnyside Neighborhood Watch program, among other projects.
Fulton said donations to the pantries can include more than just nonperishable food items. Other welcome items are shampoo, diapers, wipes and clothing.
Sanders said The Pencil Store has donated approximately $20,000 in school supplies to the schools in Jacksonville, as well as to Sherwood Elementary School, for the past few years.
“The Pencil Store donated about 1,000 glow sticks to the Jacksonville Police Department, which were handed out at the Fourth of July celebration at the shooting range. We donated 100 pairs of shoes to Jacksonville Pride. We also donate toys and candy to the JPD to be given to children throughout Jacksonville,” he said.
Sanders said The Pencil Store is always happy to help other nonprofit organizations and stepped up to help start the food-pantry program.
“I believe we need to do the best we can for our community,” Fulton said. “It took all of us together to get this going.”
For more information on the pantries, contact Debbie Fulton at (501) 596-1524 or