The Garden
Our Community Garden came into being after discussions with our visitors about the challenges of obtaining fresh produce. What started as three 4x8 ft foot beds has expanded to ten 4x8 ft beds that offer a variety of fresh seasonal produce and herbs. We are very grateful to Beth Palumbo and her garden crew for their commitment to supplying us with healthy seedlings and mentorship.
The Apiary
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Local Honey has significant health benefits, but can be unaffordable for a household struggling to put food on the table. The goal of the apiary is to provide access to local honey for our visitors. We currently have 4 hives which are managed by Jenny with the help of Zoe, Matthew, and their mentor Lauren Cust.
The Library
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When we outgrew the original pantry, we repurposed it as a little free library. Now our visitors are able to feed their imaginations in addition to their bellies- which is extra important when you consider that children who experience food insecurity also are likely to have limited reading material.
The Giving Patch
The Giving Patch was our very first holiday tradition at the pantry. Each year we offer a free pumpkin patch where neighbors can take or leave pumpkins. This past year we were fortunate to receive thousands of pounds of donated pumpkins which helped spread a lot of joy.
Holiday Meals
Because we understand how challenging it is to plan a holiday meal on an already stretched budget, the pantry is proud to partner with our friends at the Seymour Oxford Food Bank, The Blessing Pantry, and Oxford Neighbor to Neighbor Pantry to provide holiday meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Salt Dough Ornament Kits
Salt Dough Ornaments are a yearly activity in the Rice home, and seemed like a wonderful tradition to share with our community for the holidays. Each salt dough ornament kit contains flour, salt, a cookie cutter, and the recipe for making salt dough ornaments.
The Giving Tree
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The Giving Tree is an opportunity for our community to exchange gifts and holiday cheer. During the holiday season we put out an artificial tree at the pantry and allow our community to decorate and add gifts to it. Each year we are blown away by the generosity and creativity of our neighbors.