Kingston couple opens community food pantry

KINGSTON — It’s the time of year when people are pitching in all over the community to help out those in need. With hearts to end hunger, Kingston residents David and Danna DeShazer have gone as far as to make their home a resource for those in need of food.

Earlier this year, the couple decided to take action on an issue that Danna said she had noticed almost immediately after moving to the area.

“I started seeing Facebook posts and people were asking for odd jobs so that they could have money to feed their families,” Danna said. “Stuff like that bothers me — that people are so desperate that they would ask for odd jobs to buy food.”

This got Danna and David started on an idea to start a community food pantry. The couple got to work refurbishing a large cabinet and filling it with non-perishable items and snacks- giving it the name, “My Brother’s Keeper Pantry.”

Danna then put the word out on Facebook saying, “if you have more month than food, if you need to feed your family tonight and you don’t have the means, if you know a neighbor that could use an extra meal, feel free to stop by.”

While the pair said that many people have joined in and donated food to help the cause, they now hope to make people more aware of the service, as the cold weather comes and kids will soon be home for Christmas break.

Danna explained that the pantry isn’t intended to take the place of a food room, but rather give people a private and anonymous way to get their family through their next meal.

My Brother's Keeper Pantry is located at the beginning of French Gulch Road in Kingston and open to anyone in need 24 hours a day.

“If you need to put food on your table tonight, then come by, pick up some food and run with it,” Danna said.