Thank you for helping to fill the little free pantries of Owen County!
Please follow these steps when filling the little free pantries. This will insure that Owen County Democrats have the same level of service at each pantry, and that we have all of the media that we use to promote these service projects.
Step 1: Retrieve your bag and drive to the pantry
When you agreed to fill a pantry, more than likely you were handed a bag (or bags) with a number on the front. This number corresponds with the pantry that you will fill. You can find the address to your assigned pantry below:
1.) 119 N. Seventh Street, Gosport, IN
2.) 152 Kings Ct, Gosport, IN
3.) 560 E. Morgan Street, Spencer, IN
4.) 201 W. Morgan Street, Spencer, IN
5.) 10 S. Montgomery Street, Spencer, IN
6.) 11612 IN-243, Cloverdale, IN
7.) 5530 SR 42, Poland, IN
8.) 7396 North Street, Poland, IN
9.) 5505 Jefferson Street, Freedom, IN
10.) 4019 Main Street, Coal City, IN
If you have agreed to deliver to more than one pantry, it's generally advised that you deliver to each pantry in numerical order. If you need more help locating the box on the property, please take a look at the our little free pantries page for pictures and details about location.
Step 2: Before picture
We like to know what the state of the box was like when you arrived. Just open the door and snap a picture of whatever state the box is in. (good or bad)
Step 3: Check for outdates
Go through the items that are in the box and check for dates. If items are past their "best by" date, they should be removed and disposed of. Likewise, any cans without labels should also be removed (no one likes mystery food). While you are checking dates, this is a great time to generally organize the pantries items. I like to group like items together, so visiting guests can see easily what is available.
Step 4: Add your donation
Now it's time to add the donation you were given to the box. With some of the smaller boxes, this might require a little bit of tetris skills! If you absolutely can not make items fit, feel free to take excess to other boxes that may be on your drop off list. Likewise, if you find that a particular box has a plethora of a single item, feel free to distribute this surplus to other box locations. If you were given a copy of the little free pantries list, please leave it in the box for other users.
Step 5: After picture
You're all done! Snap a picture of your finished work, and send the before and after pictures to the Owen County Democrats. Here are a variety of possible options for how to get the pictures to us:
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1.) Email images to Collin Rotella - collin.rotella@gmail.com
2.) Text images to Collin Rotella - (317) 429-7931
3.) Upload the image to the Owen County Democrats group page on Facebook.
Other Considerations
When we go fill pantries, there are three items (other than the food) that we try to always take with us: a trash bag, ant spray, and paper towels. Since all of the boxes listed have been serviced by OC Dems recently, none should be too bad. However, a few out dated items from well meaning folks are almost always found. Some times we find something has been spilled inside the box, and ants have found it, thus the ant spray. And of course paper towels are invaluable for wiping up all sorts of messes.