Each family was allowed two toys per child and Johnson said they would give out the toys until they ran out.
Hailey Gilbert, one of the people who came to the Little Free Pantry, said the free toys were a huge help to her family. Her mother is immunocompromised and sick all year, and it’s been hard to buy Christmas presents because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
“It’s amazing,” Gilbert said of the giveaway.
Johnson said she was trying to help families in her community who ran into income limits at food pantries or couldn’t get to the food pantry during their open hours because they had to work.
“My pet peeve is when food pantries expect you to show proof of income,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she had gotten an increase in the number of people asking for help this year during the pandemic, but since they rely on donations from the community, they haven’t always been able to give to the person asking for help.
Neff said they will try to direct the person to other food banks if they aren’t able to help, or sometimes they give out of their own pantry.
“We’ve been getting boat loads of calls for food, but in order to give food, the community has to give it,” Johnson said.
To donate to the Little Free Pantry, check out their Facebook page.
About the Author
