You can now donate non-perishable canned food and personal hygiene items to Drake’s Little Pantry project by simply placing items at the mail pick-up location in your office. Encourage others to donate by printing off a flyer and posting it in your office.

The collection initiative is organized by All Staff Council and Campus Mail Operations. Drake’s Little Pantry project is in need of donations year-round. Donations can be dropped off at any time to the mail spot located in your office. Campus Mail Operations will pick up the donations to be distributed to one of three Free Little Pantries on campus. Pantries are located at Sprout Garden near 24th Street and Forest Avenue, in the Olmsted Parking Lot, and at the bus stop across from Aliber Hall.

The motto of the Free Little Pantries is “take what you need, leave what you can.” Anyone is welcome to either take from or give to the pantries. Much of the Drake Neighborhood resides within a food desert––a USDA classification for an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or high-quality fresh food.

The project was funded thanks to a kickstarter grant from the Wellmark Foundation, and implemented with support from the Office of Community Learning and LEAD students and faculty. Local artisan Doug Hesseltine created and built the pantries. More information about the project can be found on the organization’s Facebook page. Contact ascspecialevents@drake.edu with questions.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning/All Staff Council