WINNIPEG — A couple living in the Centennial neighbourhood have stocked an outdoor food pantry with supplies, available for anyone to use at any time.
Kelly Hughes and his partner have been living in the neighbourhood for a couple of years, and said a lot of people in the area are battling addiction and mental health issues.
He said people have been consistently knocking on his front door, asking for assistance, which prompted the decision to start the community cupboard.
“You either have to shut it out and ignore it, or you have to say, these people are my neighbours and what am I going to do about it,” Hughes said.
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After building the pantry from scratch, Hughes put it in the middle of the neighbourhood two days ago. It’s open for anyone to come by, and donate food and supplies, or take things from the cupboard if they are in need.
Since posting a status about the idea on social media, Hughes said the response has been overwhelming.
“We’ve been getting messages from people in Arizona that want to help. It kind of grabbed people’s imagination.”
Now, the pantry is filled with different food, personal hygiene items and more. Hughes said people in other communities have already been asking about setting up a community cupboard in different areas of the city.
“We’d like to help people set up those things. It really is a simple thing.”
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