PORT ANGELES – North Olympic Healthcare Network (NOHN) recently became the newest member of the Little Free Pantry network of sites in Clallam County. The community health center opened a free food pantry at its Eastside Health Center, 1026 E. 1st Street in Port Angeles on October 7.

The custom-built, three-shelf cupboard provides free, non-perishable food items 24/7 to anyone in the community. NOHN is also partnering with SisterLand Farms to stock the pantry with fresh vegetables.

The origins of the Little Free Pantry program can be traced back to 2016 when Jessica McClard of Fayetteville, Ark., organized a neighborhood food assistance project that quickly grew into a global grassroots movement. In 2019, Compassion Clallam County, a local community group, and the WSU Extension Office in Clallam County launched the program locally.

The Little Free Pantry motto is, “Take what you need, leave what you can.”

For more information on the Little Free Pantry program, or to host one yourself, contact WSU Extension Coordinator Benji Astrachan at benji.astrachan@wsu.edu.

(Photo: NOHN staff members and community representatives stand next to the community’s newest Little Free Pantry at 1026 E. 1st Street, Port Angeles. The pantry provides free, non-perishable food items 24/7 to anyone in the community. From left: Carlos Osorio, Outreach & Navigation Manager (NOHN); Hermina Solomon, Assistant Director (Port Angeles Food Bank); Miranda Beck, Community Resource Navigator (NOHN); Michael Clemens, Volunteer Contractor; Daniel Bedinger, Mobile Health Clinic Coordinator (NOHN); Benji Astrachan, Food Access Coordinator (WSU Extension Clallam County); John-David Burkavage, Safety & Operations Manager (NOHN); and Jeff Curtis, Mobile Health Clinic Operator (NOHN).)