Little Food Pantry at IW Clothing Center

Thanks to a partnership with organization Be The Good (BTG), the IW Clothing Center will host a Little Free Food Pantry on site to help our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. The concept is similar to Little Free Libraries, providing easy access based in the community. People are welcome to take what they need.

With the help of volunteers, we will keep the pantry filled with dry staple items. The Clothing Center is at 751 Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville. Donations of non-perishable, unexpired items can be dropped off at the Center during regular donation hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 9:00am – 4:30pm, and Saturday: 9:00am – 2:00pm.

Here are some FAQs from BTG:

What is a Little Free Food Pantry? BTG Little Free Food Pantries are similar to “neighborhood libraries” but are filled with non-perishable foods by volunteers.

What is the purpose? Our pantries are intended to serve as a 24/7 emergency resource in areas where families, students, clients, and/or residents are experiencing high levels food insecurity. All contents are free of charge to the recipients, no questions asked.

How are they stocked with food? Each weekend, our pantries are stocked with non-perishable foods by BTG volunteers. Each box can hold 3+ bags of groceries.

How do people learn about the pantry? Obviously we welcome everyone spreading the word about this resource in the community! We intentionally place them in areas with high need and foot traffic to ensure the community sees them and volunteers can easily fill them with food.

Can a site host request certain contents in the pantry? Site hosts can request popular non-perishable foods for the community (examples: rice, pasta, cereal). However, due to the nature of our volunteer network, we cannot guarantee those requests will be met on a weekly basis.

What happens if a pantry is empty mid-week? Pantries are often emptied or nearly emptied after a few days, especially towards the end of the month. Volunteers will return each weekend to fill them again with food.