Howell Free Food Pantry returns, and this time it's weatherproof
HOWELL — After a month-long break, the Howell Free Food Pantry is back better, and more weatherproof, than ever.
The pantry, which allows residents to both donate and take non-perishable food items and personal care items, was removed in March after a door was blown off. The yellow armoire was recently replaced with a sturdier model that founder Kristie Guadiano hopes will be protected from future weather incidents.
“The new one is made out of, like, a Rubbermaid plastic, all weatherproof, locking doors, a full roof. ... The base structure is weather-resistant,” Guadiano said. “We just needed a more weather-secure unit. The other one was our first prototype."
The pantry, which remains at the Howell Depot Lot, was initially established in January 2023. Guadiano said she decided to bring the unit to Howell after she recognized a need.
“I’d been working with different food insecurity charities over the last probably eight years through the schools and a bag-packing system,” Guadiano said. “The other local cities that are close have pantries — Fowlerville, Whitmore Lake, Brighton — so we were filling those and then realized there is a definite need in Howell for that also.”
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According to Guadiano, the pantry operates on a “take what you need, leave what you can” basis. Although it's managed by a team of volunteers, the community is primarily responsible for supplying food and personal care items to make sure it stays full.
“It’s going really well. There’s a lot of support from the community,” Guadiano said. “It’s been really, really well-received.”
— Ari Hickman is a sophomore at Brighton High School and a freelancer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell Free Food Pantry returns, and this time it's weatherproof
