The 18th Street Pantry, an effort led by Diana Scott of Jamestown, is pictured. Scott is leading an effort to restock Little Free Pantries throughout the area in partnership with M&T Bank’s Community Impact Week.

Little Free Pantry

The 18th Street Pantry, an effort led by Diana Scott of Jamestown, is pictured. Scott is leading an effort to restock Little Free Pantries throughout the area in partnership with M&T Bank’s Community Impact Week.

By Sara Holthouse

sholthouse@post-journal.com

A simple can of soup. A box of cereal. Peanut butter, pasta, shelf-stable milk, or a package of snacks for a child.

To many, these may seem like small items, but to families struggling with food insecurity, they can mean everything.

As part of M&T Bank’s Community Impact Week, local M&T Bank branches throughout Chautauqua County are currently collecting non-perishable food donations that will later be distributed to Little Free Pantries across the area. This project is being done in partnership with Diana Scott with the 18th Street Pantry.

Scott said the collaboration came about when M&T Bank reached out to her because someone at one of their offices knew about her work and what she did. She said she believes this community impact week is something M&T does on an annual basis, and while she added they were lucky enough to be the ones chosen this year, she would love to be able to do something for her pantry annually as well.

Community members are encouraged to stop by their local M&T Bank branch and donate non-perishable food items, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, snacks, or other household essentials. Every donation helps make a direct impact on local families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Donations can be dropped off at any M&T branch in Chautauqua County through May 19.

Scott said it has been a privilege to work with M&T Bank on this project.

“A lot of people are struggling in this area,” Scott said. “Little Free Pantries provide supplemental food to those with a limited income, including seniors. Food does not always reach the end of the month for everyone, and these pantries give people the opportunity to stop and get food when needed.”

The Little Free Pantries also provide food to the homeless, and Scott said the 18th Street Pantry gets a lot of night traffic from the homeless population in the city. Additionally, she said Little Free Pantries have quietly become an important lifeline for individuals facing difficult times across the county, operating on the idea of taking what you need and leaving what you can.

“Yet their impact reaches far beyond food alone,” Scott said. “They provide dignity, hope, compassion, and a reminder that neighbors still care about one another. Over the years, I have personally witnessed just how important these pantries have become. From parents trying to make it through the week, to seniors living on fixed incomes, to children stopping by for snacks after school, the need is very real — and continuing to grow. Many pantries throughout the county are visited several times a day, and supplies often disappear almost as quickly as they are stocked.”

This is the reason Scott said why community support matters so much, and that every donation and act of kindness makes a difference, whether through a weekly donation, monthly contribution or just helping wherever someone can. Scott said a few extra canned goods added during a shopping trip may not seem like much, but combined with the generosity of others throughout the community, those small donations help keep pantry shelves filled for neighbors in need.

This project, along with the work of the Little Free Pantries, is important to Scott, she said, because growing up her parents always gave back, and so it has always been something she did and knew was important.

“I always tell people that people like to get involved, but many don’t know how,” Scott said. “This is an opportunity for people to give even a small donation every week or month. We get a lot of things directly shipped from Walmart or Sam’s Club. It is easier than ever to donate with today’s technology; you don’t even have to leave your house.”

Scott thanked Rome’s Code Blue Warming Center at 917 Washington Street for allowing for the storage and distribution of these donations from across the county to happen there. Partnerships such as this, she said, are what makes these community efforts possible, emphasizing that anyone can get involved if they just take that first step. Additionally, she said anyone can be in need of help from these pantries that others might not even know or see, including the young, old, or even just a next door neighbor.

“This project is a powerful reminder of what can happen when businesses, organizations, and residents come together with a shared goal of helping others,” Scott said. “If you currently operate a Little Free Pantry in Chautauqua County, or would like more information about this community effort, please feel free to contact me. Together, we can continue making sure no neighbor feels forgotten and no family feels alone.”

Scott and the 18th Street Pantry can be reached at 716-640-6035.