Three New Community Food Pantries Pop Up in Kingston

By Aara Macauley, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

The city of Kingston has taken a page from the free community libraries peppered throughout the city, by providing start-up funding for three community food pantries as part of a pilot project to increase options for low-barrier food access.

Like their library counterparts, these food pantries, located on Days Road, Clergy Street and West Campus, provide space for individuals to leave or take fresh produce and non-perishable foods, no questions asked. The model supplements contributions of food from community donations with local produce grown through the Kingston Community Garden Network.

The pantries operate on a ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ approach, and aims to improve access to food, reduce stigma and fill gaps left by traditional food programs which can have limits on use or require proof of income.

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