Woodland Park Residents Launch Little Free Pantry

The Woodland Park Little Free Pantry was built in partnership between BESA and Edgework Creative.  Working with graduates of the Near East Side Neighborhood Leadership Academy, Broad Street Food Pantry helped connect these groups to the Woodland Park Neighborhood Association to see if they could find a location that would best serve the community.  With the proximity to the Martin Luther King Library, Franklin Park, East High School and OSU Hospital East and a high amount of foot and car traffic, it was determined that the residence of 1530 E Long St would be the best site to serve the neighborhood.  Neighbors from Woodland Park, King-Lincoln/Bronzeville and Franklin Park all worked together to prep the site and get the Little Free Pantry installed near the sidewalk. 

The Little Free Pantry is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to anyone who is in need and is stocked 100% by neighbors in the same way.  Partnerships have been built and donations received from East High School Student Council, St Philip Lutheran Church, PACT, Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association and neighbors from Eastgate, Franklin Park, King-Lincoln/Bronzeville, Olde Towne East and Woodland Park.  Since the box has been installed, thousands of food, pantry and toiletry items, along with new hats and gloves have been passed along to those in our neighborhoods who need them.  A list of items that are continuously needed and photos of the Little Free Pantry can be found here. 

-Contributed by: Kate Curry-Da-Souza
Resident, Woodland Park