SUFFOLK, Va. — In Suffolk, several families are challenged with putting food on the table.
“Sometimes families have to choose between paying rent and paying for groceries,” said ForKids Community Partnership Manager Marie Garrenton.
It can be a difficult decision to make. That’s why the non-profit ForKids partnered with the Suffolk Library to open a community fridge and pantry at the organization’s Suffolk location.
“We have a lot of agriculture out here, a lot of farms, farmer's markets, a lot of amazing restaurants,” Garrenton said. “So, it sort of made sense for us to be able to bring all of that together.”
Garrenton said the idea came from the owner of Harper’s Table in Suffolk who was looking to help feed the community. He now helps to stock the fridge with fresh eggs each week.
“We get retail rescue from Big Lots through the Foodbank,” she said. “We get perishables from Harper and then also from community donations.”
Tuesday, they celebrated the opening of the community fridge and pantry with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Several people stopped by with donations for the fridge. Community Engagement Librarian Amanda Henderson with Suffolk Public Library said this has been a dream of hers for years.
“Community fridges, community pantries was something that a lot of libraries did either on their sites or in partnership with other sites,” Henderson said.
Henderson said it only made sense to collaborate on this effort with ForKids. She said public libraries commonly share resources with the community. Henderson said the library’s partnership in this initiative is a reminder that public libraries are more than just a facility for reading.
“We are community centers," she said. "People come to us when they need resources, when they need anything... Libraries and librarianship have just evolved in such a beautiful way to really assist and grow the communities that we're in.”
Garrenton asks the community to give what they can and take what they need. You can donate or pick up food at any time with any questions asked.
Both Garrenton and Henderson said they are happy to see the community come together to support the pantry.
"I'm amazed at what the community can do when they come together," Henderson said.
"It is really beautiful to see the community come together to support each other," Garrenton said.