“We live in an area of Baldwin County where there is a big disparity between the haves and have nots. There are people in need all around us, and we drive past them every day. My husband and I were called to pay attention to that and do something for our neighbors.

We installed the River Crossing Food Pantry in Marlow at Christmas in 2018. It is a small, cabinet-style pantry, and the message on the box is ‘take what you need and leave what you can.’ We added a Facebook page, and it took off. The box is at the Dollar General close to the corner of highways 9 and 32.

There is generational poverty in our area, and drugs are making it worse. We have watched changes in this little community just in the time we lived here. People live in tents in the woods, and we usually have one or two families living in vehicles at any time.

There are people here without transportation who walk or ride a bike to our pantry. Children walk to the pantry alone, and we put in food they can prepare for themselves or younger siblings. Some are in situations beyond their control. We see a spike in food needs during the summers and Christmas and spring breaks, so we put more food in the box during these times.

There is a network of pantries like ours across Baldwin County, but there aren’t enough pantries in our area to meet all of the needs. The two of us do this as anonymously as possible and learned not to take everything on ourselves because others will help, too. We have fantastic people putting food in, and our neighbors are always willing to help.

We started with food, but people began messaging our Facebook page with other needs, such as help with water or power bills, or supplies or clothes for school, and we try to help. We recently helped a mother who was going to have a baby any day and had nothing. In the winter, we put in warm clothes and they go quickly. Toiletries and personal hygiene products are also needed, so we save the little bottles from motels. We also try to connect people to resources, posting information about job and training opportunities, food giveaways, and assistance programs.

When we blindly followed the call to start this food pantry, we did not know how far it would go. The pantry empties out about three times a day, and we keep food in our car to restock when it gets low. It is not our job to judge who gets what or how much. We are here to help people by trying to meet their needs and make life a little better.”

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River Crossing Pantry’s story is a part of a series about the Weavers—people stitching our communities together, solving problems, and showing how to care for our neighbors. Send a message to Our Southern Souls to nominate a Weaver from your community to be featured on Souls.