HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

County Shuts Down Woman's Public Pantry Used to Share Food with Neighbors

Views:929
@IJvids

When Kathy Hay set up a little free pantry in her backyard last December, she had no idea that an unprecedented crisis was about to create thousands of newly-jobless neighbors scrambling to find food for their families. At the time, she just wanted to share food with her lower-income neighbors and give back to a community that had supported her when she was having a hard time putting food on her own table.


https://ij.org/press-release/amid-crisis-neighbor-fights-for-right-to-help-feed-others-in-need/


Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Rather than sending her a note of thanks, Asotin County sent her a cease and desist letter in February, demanding that she shut down the pantry. To reopen, the county said that she has to pay annual fees, a fine and obtain a burdensome permit. If she tried to reopen without complying, the county threatened criminal prosecution.

Now Kathy and two of her neighbors who used the pantry have partnered with the Institute for Justice to fight back. Today, they filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit to protect their right to share food with each other. The lawsuit is part of IJ’s overall effort to respond to the current health and economic crisis by working to cut red tape hampering individuals’ ability to help one another.

“With the state’s food banks running low on food and an unprecedented number of Washingtonians out of work, stopping neighbors from helping each other is the last thing the government should be doing right now,” said Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Erica Smith. “Kathy has a constitutional right to share food with others at her home, and needy people have a right to accept willing food donations.”

Many of Kathy’s neighbors in the working-class town of Clarkston, Washington, struggle to put food on their table. Kathy herself has struggled to make ends meet in the past and wanted to help. Rather than donate to her local food bank, Kathy wanted to do something that allowed her neighbors to be more engaged in helping one another. So after doing a little research, she set up a “little free pantry” in her backyard. Little free pantries are small structures—typically the size of a kitchen cabinet—where people can donate or take food. Similar to the “little free library” movement, thousands of Americans have built little free pantries to help fight hunger. In fact, many little lending librarians are converting their boxes to pantries in light of the current crisis.

“The ability to safely share food is now more important than ever,” said Caroline Grace Brothers, a constitutional law fellow at the Institute for Justice. “Before the current crisis, Kathy made sure the food being donated was safe and that the pantry itself was clean and orderly. And now, given the current crisis, she’s more than willing to take additional measures to ensure the food being donated is safe.”

Kathy’s pantry took off immediately. People took and donated fresh produce, canned goods and other foods from the pantry. Kathy estimates that her little free pantry served at least a dozen needy people each day. Two of those people were Dawna Larson and Brooklyn Anderson, who were both grateful to have access to free food for themselves and their family.

Everyone appreciated the pantry except the Asotin County Board of Health. About two weeks after Kathy opened her pantry, the county concluded that little free pantries should be treated like institutional food banks or soup kitchens. That means that, even though many in her community are struggling with food insecurity, the county has prohibited Kathy from sharing food with them at her own home until she follows the long list of “Donated Food Distributing Organization” regulations. Even though no one had gotten sick from the food in the pantry, the County claimed these regulations were necessary to prevent foodborne illness.

Among other requirements, a Donated Food Distributing Organization must undergo the complicated and burdensome process to become a 501(c) charitable nonprofit organization, submit an annual written plan detailing its operations, pay an annual fee and have a commercial-grade kitchen (that cannot be in a home kitchen) if it provides any fresh food. Even if Kathy secured the permit, she would still be banned from sharing fresh produce, fresh bread and any other food, except shelf stable foods with “tamper evident” packaging.

Adding salt to the wound, the County told Kathy that she could not reopen the pantry until she paid a County “invoice” for the time the County spent investigating her pantry.

“By Asotin’s reading of the law, it is perfectly legal for a farm to sell food at a roadside stand using an “honor box,” but illegal for Kathy to do the same with food from the grocery store,” said Caroline Grace Brothers. “The only difference is that farm stands cater to foodies, while Kathy’s pantry caters to individuals struggling to make ends meet.”
Donate to IJ: https://ij.org/support/give-now/

washington
,
food pantry
,
532 mathew keys
    Thumbnail for Court Strips Elderly Woman of Her Home and Ruins Her Life18:32
    Court Strips Elderly Woman of Her Home and Ruins Her Life
    IJvids
    923 views
    Thumbnail for drone through urban combat aftermath0:47
    drone through urban combat aftermath
    Gviduser
    1695 views
    Thumbnail for How to properly talk to foreigners.0:27
    How to properly talk to foreigners.
    bestofupgoat
    417 views
    Thumbnail for The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 1 Episode 221:49
    The Whitest Kids U'Know Season 1 Episode 2
    wkuk.topic
    932 views
    Thumbnail for Biden/Fetter doesnt matter. Same retard0:15
    Biden/Fetter doesnt matter. Same retard
    voatcatbox
    339 views
    Thumbnail for Ha GAY!!!0:03
    Ha GAY!!!
    AOUisgay
    455 views
    Thumbnail for How to Steal an Election 1:14
    How to Steal an Election
    bestofupgoat
    162 views
    Thumbnail for POV: You just picked up a penny near a synagogue0:28
    POV: You just picked up a penny near a synagogue
    AOUisgay
    1050 views
    Thumbnail for Modern Women Want to Falsely Accuse Men Without Retaliation | Grunt Speak24:14
    Modern Women Want to Falsely Accuse Men Without Retaliation | Grunt Speak
    Terrence Popp
    1364 views
    Thumbnail for The Lantern Spectrum | Solid jj2:17
    The Lantern Spectrum | Solid jj
    invidious
    422 views
    Thumbnail for A Jewish woman talks about the Jews1:34
    A Jewish woman talks about the Jews
    AOU
    1919 views
    Thumbnail for Exploring Karnataka’s Iconic Flavors in One Epic Day! 🤤🎉 | DCT EATS1:00
    Exploring Karnataka’s Iconic Flavors in One Epic Day! 🤤🎉 | DCT EATS
    invidious
    152 views
    Thumbnail for apparently, venezuelans discover maduro's personal garage full food and stashed money ( warning lots spanish spoken)1:00
    apparently, venezuelans discover maduro's personal garage full food and stashed money ( warning lots spanish spoken)
    bestofupgoat
    289 views
    Thumbnail for The Evolving Role of Nature in Net Zero | Bloomberg Television16:25
    The Evolving Role of Nature in Net Zero | Bloomberg Television
    invidious
    406 views
    Thumbnail for Joe Biden falls into a meme0:40
    Joe Biden falls into a meme
    bestofpoal
    1481 views
    Thumbnail for Death - Altering The Future (HQ) | WhoreToAChainsawTAIM5:36
    Death - Altering The Future (HQ) | WhoreToAChainsawTAIM
    invidious
    297 views
    Thumbnail for Guldo vs Captain Ginyu - MUGEN (Gameplay) S1 • E121:29
    Guldo vs Captain Ginyu - MUGEN (Gameplay) S1 • E12
    memology101
    1227 views
    Thumbnail for Based cameraman can see through the lie0:35
    Based cameraman can see through the lie
    bestofvoatxyz
    492 views
    Thumbnail for TRUMPED: The Donald, The Widow and Eminent Domain2:44
    TRUMPED: The Donald, The Widow and Eminent Domain
    IJvids
    992 views
    Thumbnail for Ep. 2464a - The [CB] Panics Over Inflation, [JB] Introduces Economic Indoctrination Plan | X22report17:07
    Ep. 2464a - The [CB] Panics Over Inflation, [JB] Introduces Economic Indoctrination Plan | X22report
    bitchute_topics
    861 views
    Thumbnail for Bob Ross' Birthday Celebration! | Bob Ross1:00
    Bob Ross' Birthday Celebration! | Bob Ross
    invidious
    347 views
    Thumbnail for 🎶 I HATE NIGGERS! 🎶 1:54
    🎶 I HATE NIGGERS! 🎶
    bestofupgoat
    397 views
    Thumbnail for 🔴 LIVE #ข่าวช่องวันเสาร์-อาทิตย์ | 5 มกราคม 2568 | ข่าวช่องวัน | one311:42:51
    🔴 LIVE #ข่าวช่องวันเสาร์-อาทิตย์ | 5 มกราคม 2568 | ข่าวช่องวัน | one31
    invidious
    89 views
    Thumbnail for Brekete Family Arewa Ashirin Da Biyu Ga Watan Biyar Shekara Ta Dubu Biyu Da Ashirin Da Biyar | Brekete Family Arewa1:32:25
    Brekete Family Arewa Ashirin Da Biyu Ga Watan Biyar Shekara Ta Dubu Biyu Da Ashirin Da Biyar | Brekete Family Arewa
    invidious
    7 views
    Thumbnail for BY GOD we will have our home again  ---  there, FTFY2:49
    BY GOD we will have our home again --- there, FTFY
    bestofvoatxyz
    530 views

points

Permalink
Reply
washington
,
food pantry
,
532 mathew keys
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle