RS Community Library Fighting Food Insecurity with Pop Up Pantry

The Roaring Spring Community Library has shown that it is more than just a place to borrow books. Under the leadership of Michelle McIntyre, the library has expanded into a community engagement center, offering services from free winter clothing and hygiene products to referring those in need to the places they can go for help.

The library's newest offering to the community is what McIntyre calls the "Pop up Pantry." Located inside the library, the pantry provides food to those who need it with no questions asked.

"There are no income guidelines and no verification process," McIntyre said. "If you need it, come in and get it."

The pantry began in June when McIntyre and library assistant Cortney Gensimore made a trip into American Rescue Workers, a food rescue organization in Hollidaysburg, to pick up free hand sanitizer.

"We went in to pick up the sanitizer and a person working there said they could provide people in our area with food if we were interested," McIntyre said. "I knew there was a need here, so we wanted to try it."

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States suffer from food insecurity. McIntyre said that although it may not be as noticeable, the Cove area has a lot of people who need help obtaining food.

"I think there is hidden poverty here," McIntyre said. "I think we notice it more in the cities because there are more places to go for help than in rural areas."

McIntyre said between 70 to 100 people use the library's pantry every week.

Every Tuesday, McIntyre and Gensimore drive to Hollidaysburg to pick up food from the American Rescue Workers. Other sources come from Saint Vincent de Paul Monastery gardens, bread from Giant Eagle in Roaring Spring, and food commodities from Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring.

Each Cove community has its own food pantry with specific hours and guidelines. McIntyre said the library's pop up pantry, which is available during library hours, is another avenue for those in need.

The library's pantry operates differently from other area food pantries. With no income guidelines or residency verification required, patrons simply walk in and take whatever they need from the shelves.

"We are welcoming but not invading," McIntyre said. "We want people to know they can come in here and there is no judgment or pressure."

McIntyre said people who need help may be reluctant to ask when they have to fill out forms and prove their need. She said people who need help already feel bad enough and by not asking for identification or having them fill out forms makes it easier for them to seek the help they need.

"A lot of people are embarrassed by the situation they find themselves in through no fault of their own," she said. "I think there is a way to preserve people's dignity and not treating it as a handout but a hand up. Sometimes it makes it so much simpler on someone to know they can walk in here today and get food for their family tonight."

McIntyre said the library recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Penn State Cooperative Extension to become a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) education site, which will allow a nutritionist to prepare recipes from the food in the pantry and pass them along to patrons.

"Our hope is that we can get a few volunteers to pack a grab and go bag and say, 'Here is the recipe and the stuff needed to make it,'" she said.

In addition to food, the library has also teamed with Saint Vincent de Paul to offer diapers. McIntyre said she also tries to keep baby formula available and is careful about monitoring its expiration dates.

McIntyre said she is always looking for sources to stock the pantry and said anyone interested in helping can go to the library's Facebook page and follow the links to donate.

McIntyre said she hopes the library's pantry can help alleviate the burden rising prices have placed on people.

"This is one way that we can really give back to the community," she said. "We are hoping to make an impact on people who need help."

Find out more about the Roaring Spring Community Library at https://www.loc8nearme.com/pennsylvania/roaring-spring/roaring-spring-community-library/6623385/