Greenfield’s local VFW post recently opened the “Patriot Pantry,” a community assistance box, just outside the post’s building.
Brewer-Culley VFW Post 2693 dedicated the pantry box on July 11 following its monthly meeting, and post commander Mike Davis said the post has embraced this opportunity to give back to Greenfield.
“We’re just hoping to serve our community,” Davis said. “That’s just part of who we are. Everybody’s on board and happy to be doing it.”
Davis and vice commander Rick Brown were the two who came up with the idea for the pantry box after noticing a need within the community.
“A few of my neighbors have food that they can’t eat or won’t eat and I thought, ‘You know, that’s going to waste,’ so I got with [Davis] and we decided we’ll just go ahead and do this,” Brown said. “I contacted a few people, got some lumber and roofing material, and we built the pantry box.”
The process of putting up the box was easier than Davis expected, as he anticipated a need to cut through piles of red tape in order to construct the pantry box, but as he went to check to see if he needed any permits, he found the process fairly straightforward.
“I went to city hall, I went to planning, I went to a lot of different places, and they all basically told me that if it’s your property, you can just put one up. You don’t need a permit.”
The pantry has already seen plenty of use, as Brown has noticed, frequently refilling the box in the week and a half since its opening. The box is maintained through donations from members of the VFW and the community at large, and plans are in place for a cash donation program for community members to make contributions to the pantry.
“I try to make it over there just about every other day, and I end up putting a bunch of more items in side the box, so it seems like it’s being used very well,” Brown said.
Davis has also noticed a positive response on social media, receiving community support from people on Greenfield Gabber and the post’s Facebook page.
There were already several similar boxes around town, but Davis noted that there were none on the eastern side of town near the fairgrounds, making the post an ideal location to fill that gap. Brown has also noticed the Patriot Pantry being used more than the other similar boxes around town in the first two weeks since its dedication.
The box can be found and donations can be made in between the post’s building and parking lot at 529 Apple St, Greenfield, IN 46140.
