By WKTV Staff
The Kentwood Police and Fire Departments are asking community members to join them for a friendly competition to collect donations for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.
Community members are invited to drop off donation items in the lobby of the following locations from Dec. 1-31:
- Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE
- Fire Station 1, 4775 Walma Ave. SE
- Fire Station 2, 4151 Embassy Drive SE
- Fire Station 3, 5340 Eastern Ave. SE
The department that receives the most donations by weight will win the contest and earn bragging rights.
The departments also are partnering with Sam’s Club, 4326 28th St. SE, on Dec. 9 and 16. On those two Saturdays, representatives from each department will have a service vehicle parked near the store entrance from noon to 4 p.m. for anyone to place non-perishable food and personal care items in the trunk of their choice.
Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is a free resource that provides food and personal care items to community members who are under-resourced. Anyone can give to or take from the pantry, with no questions asked and no application needed.
“We’re excited for this opportunity to serve our community by gathering donations for the Little Free Pantry,” Police Chief Bryan Litwin said. “Our department is looking forward to helping brighten the season for our neighbors in need, and a friendly competition with our friends at the Kentwood Fire Department certainly adds a fun element to this initiative.”
The Fire Department also is looking forward to giving back and partnering with police in a fun way, Fire Chief Brent Looman said.
“We support our community every single day, and this is a new facet of that important work,” Looman said. “The Little Free Pantry means a lot for many residents in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Police Department to help restock it through this fun contest.”
Suggested items for donation include:
- Canned meats, vegetables and fruit
- Cereals
- Pasta/pasta sauce
- Rice
- Soup
- Soap of all kinds
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Feminine products
- Laundry detergent
- Toilet paper
- Deodorant
- Diapers
- Small toys/games
The pantry operates year-round and has locations at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, and the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry was established in 2017 as a Martin Luther King Jr. Day community service project to fill an immediate and local need.
For more information about Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry, including how to make a financial contribution, visit kentwood.us/LittleFreePantry.
