“A little extra help”
The Elk Rapids Food Coalition representatives include Aaron Hill (Assistant Director at Elk Rapids District Library), Lanae Bump (Community Nutrition Instructor, MSU Extension), Glori Crowell (President, Do a Little Good), Pamela Williams (Director, Elk Rapids District Library), Gary Chenoweth (Rotary Club of Elk Rapids). Courtesy photo
By Barb Mosher, Contributing Writer
There’s a new library in town, but it won’t be loaning books. In fact, it won’t be loaning anything. The Little Free Food Library (LFFL) will give away non-perishable, healthy food to anyone who needs a little extra help. There will be no applications to fill out, no questions asked, and no one scrutinizing the choices “shoppers” make.
“It’s dignified access to food,” said Glori Crowell, a Rapid City resident who founded the local nonprofit Do a Little Good in 2018. “That’s the long and short of it.”
Three years ago, Crowell served on a University of Michigan research panel to study food insecurity in Michigan. The statewide survey sought to discover why those in need were not necessarily taking advantage of sources of free food.
“There’s surplus food available, and the needs are great, so why aren’t people getting the food they need?” Crowell said.
While the survey revealed various answers to that question and a multitude of complicating factors, Crowell said her takeaway was focused: People in need are often simply unable to get to food pantries and other distribution sites during the hours of operation due to work schedules and/or transportation issues. When she became aware of the success of a 24-hour food “sharing shack” in the parking lot of a church outside Kalkaska, Crowell knew what her next project would be.
She joined forces with a group of like-minded individuals representing local nonprofits, service organizations, businesses, and churches in the spring of 2023 to form the Elk Rapids Food Coalition to design, build, stock, and oversee the LFFL. They raised $15,000 to purchase the custom-built 14-foot by 20-foot structure and another $8,000 to add electricity, insulation, heat, and air conditioning. A site on the Elk Rapids District Library property on Cairns Highway was prepped in November, and the LFFL building was set in place in December.
The Elk Rapids Food Coalition says the 24/7 unmanned food pantry will be ready to open late spring or early summer to begin providing supplemental food products “to anyone of any age and any income level without shame or judgment.” They add that “interior and exterior cameras will ensure the safety of pantry users and the security of this community asset.”
Funding from coalition members and community donations plus goods provided from area food rescue organizations will keep the LFFL stocked with nutritious non-perishable food. The ERFC plans to add coolers and freezers for perishables in the future.
“(The LFFL) is such an important thing,” Crowell said. “But it’s not just me. It’s a lot of people who are making it happen. I was shocked at how quickly the community embraced it. It wasn’t even a question.”
She emphasized that the food library is not meant to be a primary source of food but supplemental, filling a unique community need.
“Many people don’t realize food insecurity is a significant issue in this area,” she said. “I picture a lot of working families using (the LFFL). They work, they have kids, but they can’t keep their heads above water. They can stop there and pick up a few things, the little bit of extra help they need. There’s nothing wrong with giving people dignified access to food. Everyone has needed help at some time. Everyone has needed to lean on someone else.”
For more information on the Elk Rapids Food Coalition and its Little Free Food Library, contact Crowell at 231-322-3029. Or visit Facebook.com/elkrapidsfoodcoalition.
There’s a new library in town, but it won’t be loaning books. In fact, it won’t be loaning anything. The Little Free Food Library (LFFL) will give away non-perishable, healthy food to anyone who needs a little extra help. There will be no applications to fill out, no questions asked, and no one scrutinizing the choices “shoppers” make.
“It’s dignified access to food,” said Glori Crowell, a Rapid City resident who founded the local nonprofit Do a Little Good in 2018. “That’s the long and short of it.”
Three years ago, Crowell served on a University of Michigan research panel to study food insecurity in Michigan. The statewide survey sought to discover why those in need were not necessarily taking advantage of sources of free food.
“There’s surplus food available, and the needs are great, so why aren’t people getting the food they need?” Crowell said.
While the survey revealed various answers to that question and a multitude of complicating factors, Crowell said her takeaway was focused: People in need are often simply unable to get to food pantries and other distribution sites during the hours of operation due to work schedules and/or transportation issues. When she became aware of the success of a 24-hour food “sharing shack” in the parking lot of a church outside Kalkaska, Crowell knew what her next project would be.
She joined forces with a group of like-minded individuals representing local nonprofits, service organizations, businesses, and churches in the spring of 2023 to form the Elk Rapids Food Coalition to design, build, stock, and oversee the LFFL. They raised $15,000 to purchase the custom-built 14-foot by 20-foot structure and another $8,000 to add electricity, insulation, heat, and air conditioning. A site on the Elk Rapids District Library property on Cairns Highway was prepped in November, and the LFFL building was set in place in December.
The Elk Rapids Food Coalition says the 24/7 unmanned food pantry will be ready to open late spring or early summer to begin providing supplemental food products “to anyone of any age and any income level without shame or judgment.” They add that “interior and exterior cameras will ensure the safety of pantry users and the security of this community asset.”
Funding from coalition members and community donations plus goods provided from area food rescue organizations will keep the LFFL stocked with nutritious non-perishable food. The ERFC plans to add coolers and freezers for perishables in the future.
“(The LFFL) is such an important thing,” Crowell said. “But it’s not just me. It’s a lot of people who are making it happen. I was shocked at how quickly the community embraced it. It wasn’t even a question.”
She emphasized that the food library is not meant to be a primary source of food but supplemental, filling a unique community need.
“Many people don’t realize food insecurity is a significant issue in this area,” she said. “I picture a lot of working families using (the LFFL). They work, they have kids, but they can’t keep their heads above water. They can stop there and pick up a few things, the little bit of extra help they need. There’s nothing wrong with giving people dignified access to food. Everyone has needed help at some time. Everyone has needed to lean on someone else.”
For more information on the Elk Rapids Food Coalition and its Little Free Food Library, contact Crowell at 231-322-3029. Or visit Facebook.com/elkrapidsfoodcoalition.
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