Brooklyn Park Woman Helps Neighbors in Need With At-Home Food Pantry
In the aftermath of a historic government shutdown, many people are looking for help. Luckily, many also want to lend a helping hand.
A Brooklyn Park woman is among those who’ve stepped up to support those in need.
CCX News caught up with Katy Burke last Thursday, as she stocked the the makeshift food pantry in her front yard.
Since its creation in late October, it has become a one-stop-shop for those in need filled with a variety of essentials.
Burke keeps the pantry stocked with hygiene products, pet supplies, cooking ingredients.
She doesn’t keep track of visits, but she knows her pantry is popular based on restocks alone.
“Even the amount that I am stocking it daily says that people are definitely coming by,” she said. “Everything that I originally stocked in there is gone. I stocked crackers, and pasta sauce, and pasta. But more shows up. So people are driving by to stock it.”
Burke was inspired to start her pantry as the government shutdown dragged on. She reflected on how helpless she felt as more and more people were food insecure, and families were strained by tight budgets and fewer benefits.
“On my way home, I was just like: ‘what can I be doing to feel impactful?’ And so I was like, ‘that’s it! I’m going to start a food pantry,'” Burke said.
Burke ordered a plastic cabinet online and started her pantry shortly after.
“Things like this are how we cannot feel so helpless of about how things are,” she said.
Katy Burke stocks her front-yard pantry with household goods and food.
It Takes a Village
Burke shared her efforts on Facebook, in groups and on her own page, along with her address and contact information in case anyone else wanted to help.
And help they did.
Since opening her pantry, Burke fielded countless donations in money and in goods. She’s using the donations to supply the pantry and also takes special requests from neighbors in need.
“If it’s one thing I know about Brooklyn Park, it’s that community is the thing,” Burke said. “Like, ‘we got you. We got you, no problem. We’ll take care of it.'”
Burke said though the government shutdown has ended, she intends to continue operating her pantry. As long as the community supports it, she wants to keep it up.
Once snow starts falling, Burke plans to keep the cabinet closer to her house to protect it from the elements.
“I’ve sat in a lot of weird emotions about it,” she said. “You know, but also just incredibly proud of how we’ve been able to feed people when they’ve needed it.”
Burke isn’t the only person who started an at-home pantry in the last month. Across the Twin Cities suburbs, homeowners have made posts encouraging their community to stop by their porch for home essentials.
Anyone in need can visit Katy’s Cupboard any time of day on 4016 Willow Rd. N. in Brooklyn Park. If you’d like to help, you can reach her at 763-260-4189.
A small peek at the variety of foods in Katy’s Cupboard.
