Boy Scouts Troop 45’s Curb Side Pantry offers residents the opportunity to donate or take food as needed. One is located across from the First United Methodist Church, and another will be set up on Mississippi State University’s campus this weekend. (Photo by Ryan Phillips, SDN)
Boy Scouts Troop 45 are working to feed the needy in Starkville with theirCurb Side Pantries.
A Curb Side Pantry is set up at 103 Meigs St. across from the First United Methodist Church. A second will be set up on Mississippi State University's campus this weekend.
"It's an opportunity for citizens in the community to drop off canned food, and then people can go by and get whatever they need," Troop 45 Scout Leader Perry Sellars said.
Sellars said non-perishable food and personal hygiene items can be dropped off in the Curb Side Pantry, and pet food is even dropped off occasionally.
Sellars said the Curb Side Pantry next to the church has been set up for about two years, but he had been wanting to set one up for a while before it was installed.
He saw a story about the pantries on the national news, Sellars said, and he went to Giles Lindley, FUMC pastor, with the idea, who jumped on it.
"The church members keep it pretty well stocked, but there are still times it gets empty," Sellars said. "There is a bigger need when the students get back into town."
Troop 45 Scout Reese Tiffin is setting up another Curb Side Pantry in front of the Wesley Center next to the sidewalk on East Lee Boulevard on campus. Tiffin, a sophomore at Starkville High School, said this is his community service project to become an Eagle Scout.
"The one by the Methodist Church has been really successful," Tiffin said. "When we're at meetings with Scout members we'll see people come and get food out of the box. I think it's a really great idea, and I wanted to do one so it's more spread out to campus and the county to outreach to more people."
Tiffin said a private donor donated the cost of the materials and Sellars has partially built the pantry. He will then finish it and set it up Saturday morning on campus.
Next to the Curb Side Pantry on Meigs St., a flag disposal box has also been set up so residents can drop off their worn or damaged American flags.
"I can take them home and burn them so they're disposed of in the proper way," Sellars said.