OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Just west of 71st Street and Metcalf Avenue sits a tiny food pantry in Jennifer Parker's front yard.
Tiny Pantry Times, Parker's second full-time job, started out as a tiny library.
"When we started this, I thought it would last through COVID only a couple of months," she said. "Of course, we all thought COVID would only last a couple of months and then it would be over."
Not only did the need for food grow but so did the support of her efforts.
"I see Jennifer out here often because I live really close — I come up and down 71st Street. She works so hard, and I feel like I can also help," said Cathryn Wooster.
For two years, Wooster has been donating to Tiny Pantry Times. Without her, the effort would be impossible.
"At that time, we were putting out 2,500 pounds a month. We are now currently putting out about 10,000 pounds a month," Parker said.
About 70 people visit Parker's pantry a day. On average, she says she sees about 2,000 people a month.
"They come all day, all night because there's still quite a bit of a stigma about using a pantry, and not everybody can make it to those finite hours that are often at different pantries," Parker said.
Parker installed a cobblestone path from her front door to the pantry after wearing down her grass from making so many trips to keep it fully stocked throughout the day.
"I don't even really know her, but I see her out here all the time and I think, 'Wow, that woman works so hard and she has a full-time job and still does this.' It's just amazing," Wooster said.
As Parker has put her own money into building the pantry and stocking it, she's looking for donations to keep her stock from running out.
"Somebody asked me, 'Well, do you have a profit and loss sheet?' And I said, 'No because there's no profit — it's only loss, loss, loss because we know we're helping these people, and we're good with that,'" Parker said.
Anyone who would like to donate to Tiny Pantry Times can do so here.
