Little Pantry assists with big food issues

Program benefits from DEC donations

By Emily Ball | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – The Little Free Pantry, located on the side of the Livingston Manor Free Library, facing Creamery Road, is currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean Maria Bivins has stopped her efforts to feed people in need.

Every Saturday, at 62 Main Street – the parking lot between the Life Repurposed shop and Brandenburg Bakery – Bivins schedules times when she and four volunteers pack boxes for people who are in need during this challenging time.

“The truth is, a lot of people who live in Livingston Manor, even before this happened, couldn’t afford some of the prices. And now, the demand is so high and prices are higher,” she said.

Each Saturday, people call and make an appointment (they’re scheduled 15 minutes apart). Volunteers pack a box with what the people need and each family gets a donated gift card from Brandenburg Bakery for a loaf of bread. “We are operating completely differently, and we are offering a lot more because shopping has changed,” Bivins said.

Bivins also pointed out that they needed to completely rethink how they shop for the pantry. “I was having a conversation with Errol Flynn from the bakery in the parking lot, and I had just gone shopping for the pantry,” she said. “I was telling him how difficult it was getting stocked for the pantry, and Errol said, ‘Maybe you could order from our food distributor under our account and get that delivered.’ So now we get food delivered Friday mornings.”

Each week’s list of available food is different because Maria buys what’s on sale. At the time, she said the week’s list included fresh produce like butternut squash, carrots, onions, potatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.

Unexpected bounty

One week, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation caught someone with a hundred pounds of illegally harvested ramps, a variety of wild onion. The thieves had taken them from state park land and planned to sell them, but the DEC donated many large bags of the ramps to the pantry to give away. Another weekend, someone donated a Mother’s Day brunch from the Arnold House and Ann Manby, owner of Sugar Blossoms Flowers in the hamlet, donated a flower bouquet to every mother in celebration of Mother’s Day.

Bivins tries to get everything that families request. The pantry has pet food and toilet paper, and will even deliver prescription drugs if requested. Once, when she could not get a baking mix, Bivins purchased baking powder, flour and baking soda instead. She also encourages any and all donations, and will accept almost anything that is fresh or in good condition. Donations of food and goods are accepted on Saturday mornings when the week’s boxes are being packed. Cash donations are also greatly appreciated, as the pantry is funded by the Calliope on Main Foundation.

Serving many families

Bivins said they are now providing food to over 50 families. The majority are from Livingston Manor, with 15 percent from Parksville and Liberty, and about 5 percent from elsewhere. The number of people has stabilized after an initial spike in demand after the Pantry itself was closed, but she has been very impressed and appreciative as some families have dropped out when their circumstances improved. “We have 46 families picking up tomorrow [May 8]. We also have about 10 people who are housebound seniors and get their things delivered to them. We started with 13 families, and then it was almost exponential. Thirteen, then like 30, then 56.”

Manor Ink greatly appreciates the work of all involved with the Little Pantry.