29 Oct NOHN Opens Little Free Pantry at 1026 E. First
North Olympic Healthcare Network (NOHN) recently became the newest member of the Little Free Pantry (LFP) network of sites in Clallam County. The community health center opened a free food pantry at its Eastside Health Center, 1026 E. 1st Street, 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, locally grown, nutritionally dense produce.
“As a community health center, NOHN is responsible for providing essential services to underserved populations and advocating for health equity for all,” said CEO Michael Maxwell, MD. “The Little Free Pantry program is in alignment with our vision of a healthy, thriving, inclusive, and collaborative community.”
The origins of the Little Free Pantry (LFP) 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 to address food insecurity. In 2019, Compassion Clallam County, a local community group, and the WSU Extension Clallam County Office launched the program locally to foster community engagement and ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food options in a safe, accessible space. Per the LFP motto, citizens are encouraged to “Take what you need, leave what you can.”
“I want to thank WSU Extension’s Benji Astrachan and volunteer contractor Michael Clemens for their help in bringing this latest LFP to the community,” said Maxwell. “I also want to recognize NOHN’s Safety & Operations and Outreach & Navigation teams led by John-David Burkavage and Carlos Osorio, respectively, for their work on this project.
For more information on the Little Free Pantry program, or to host a new LFP site, contact WSU Extension Coordinator Benji Astrachan at benji.astrachan@wsu.edu.
Pictured 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).