HOWELL — After a month-long hiatus, the Howell Free Food Pantry is back better and more weather-proof than ever.
The pantry, where residents could donate or receive non-perishable food and personal items, was removed in March after its door was blown off. The yellow cupboard was recently replaced with a sturdier model that founder Christy Guadiano hopes will protect against future weather disasters.
“The new one is made of something like Rubbermaid plastic and is weatherproof, with locking doors and a full roof. … The basic structure is weatherproof,” Guadiano said. “We needed a more weather-resistant unit, and he was one of our first prototypes.”
The remaining food pantry on the Howell warehouse site was first installed in January 2023. Guadiano said he decided to bring the unit to Howell after recognizing a need.
“I've been working with different food insecurity charities for probably the last eight years, through schools and through the baggage system,” Guadiano said. “Other nearby local cities like Fowlerville, Whitmore Lake, and Brighton have pantries, so we were restocking them, but we realized Howell definitely needed one as well. .”
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Guadiano said the pantry operates on the basis of “take what you need and leave what you can.” Although managed by a team of volunteers, it is primarily the community's responsibility to provide food and supplies to keep it full.
“It's going really well. There's a lot of support from the community,” Guadiano said. “It's been really, really well received.”
— Ali Hickman is a sophomore at Brighton High School and a freelance writer for the Livingston Daily. Please contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.