Sometimes the cupboard is bare, sometimes it’s chock full of donations.
The Steveston Community Cupboard – outside the village’s Best of British Store on First Avenue and Chatham Street – was all but empty a few days ago.
That was until a local resident posted on Facebook that the “take what you need, leave what you can” cupboard was looking rather sad in terms of provisions.
Within 48 hours, the cupboard had been stocked up again by the good people of Steveston and its surrounding communities.
Co-owner of Best of British, Lenny Entwistle, is one of the good Samaritans that keeps an eye on the bright red box.
She said it was a student from the McMath secondary Incentive Program that came to her last spring with the idea of placing the pop-up miniature food bank outside Entwistle’s store.
“Her dad came in as well. He said he would build it. That was at the end of the last school term,” Entwistle recalled.
“Sometimes it gets really bare, like last week. We try to thank people when we see them put stuff in.
“Most of it goes during the night, perhaps from people being a little bit embarrassed.
“But I have seen a couple of Mercedes roll up and the drivers taking several bags of coffee beans. I can’t get my head around that one.”
Entwistle said the cupboard, much like the little neighbourhood libraries, is completely unlocked so people can, at any time, make a donation or take away some non-perishable food.
“We get people coming in here often and buying stuff and putting it straight into the cupboard,” she added.
“The Steveston community has been great. It is definitely getting used. We just make sure there’s nothing perishable in there, as it will go rotten very quickly.”
