BILL SITZMANN
S P O T L I G H T: L I T T L E F R E E PA N T R Y
Small but mighty effort 110 • WE DON’T COAST
T
he way Vicki Holcomb sees it, “It’s just people helping people.” When she and husband Steve needed a new project, they opted for outreach, co-founding Little Free Pantry of Omaha. The concept is simple. A wooden box with shelves (which Steve assembles himself) is placed in a yard or neighborhood and filled with jars of peanut butter, cans of tuna, boxes of cereal and cans of fruits and vegetables. A sign encourages visitors to “Take what you need. Leave what you can.” “This idea certainly isn’t about replacing any sort of food programs in the city,” Steve says. “But this is a way
to eliminate any limitations someone might have to getting to those.” Vicki first heard of Little Free Pantries when boxes started popping up in Arkansas more than a year ago. After placing their first pantry in April, the Holcombs, both real estate agents with CBSHome, say they were flooded with phone calls and emails from people who wanted a pantry in their yard or neighborhood. With five Little Free Pantries in operation as of September, Vicki says she isn’t surprised Omaha has embraced the idea: “The support has been overwhelming, but I’m not shocked. People here are very giving.”