Photo By Cpl. Jesse Davis | Leadership from Marine Corps Installations Pacific and Combat Logistics Regiment 37,...... read more read more
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Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan — The Neighborhood Pantry Camp Butler expands its reach with the opening of a new location on Camp Kinser, aimed at bolstering resources for service members stationed on Okinawa.
Located within the Deployment Readiness Coordinator’s office of Combat Logistics Regiment 37, the new pantry represents a significant step in enhancing support for military personnel across the region. The initiative provides accessible resources and essential supplies to service members and their families.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions about why people need a food pantry, and we tried to wipe those [misconceptions] away,” said Jennifer Hall, assistant director of The Neighborhood Pantry Camp Butler. “We are no questions asked and confidential.”
The only information required from service members is their branch, rank, and number of dependents. They can pick up supplies once per pay period based on household size. The contents of each bag vary but include non-perishable items such as canned goods, peanut butter, soup mixes, and water.
In the last eight months alone, the pantry has distributed over 15,000 pounds of supplies to military families. These supplies come from donations by other families, volunteers, and the Marine Thrift Shop. Donations can be made at the commissary checkout; ask the cashier to purchase a bag for the pantry, and they will handle the rest.
The Camp Foster pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 11 a.m., and Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. The new Camp Kinser pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In case of an emergency, families can reach out to The Neighborhood Pantry Facebook page.
“We want people to feel like they can come in and get the help they need without us asking the reasons why,” Hall said. “We want people to know we are available to help and we are just neighbors taking care of each other.”
The pantries are sustained through collective efforts from various non-federal entities under the Community Alliance for Resource Exchange and Support. These groups contribute to keeping The Neighborhood Pantry operational by consistently providing donations.
“We realized it wasn’t a shortage of resources as much as it was a lack of awareness and coordination among resources,” said Col. Jeffrey Hammond, former deputy commander of Marine Corps Installations Pacific. “If people are aware and know how to support it, then it will always be supported.”
For Hammond, who helped create the CARES program, the pantries hold personal significance. In his hometown of Millington, Michigan, his mother runs a food pantry supporting their community with a space not much bigger than the new Camp Kinser pantry.
“My biggest wish for the future is that we don’t need food pantries. I don’t think that is realistic given the costs and stress for families, particularly living overseas,” Hammond said. “Until then, we’ll continue to nudge away at it and see what we can do to lessen the strain on families.”
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2024 03:00 |
| Story ID: | 477292 |
| Location: | CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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