Central General Store aims to help hungry neighbors in a pinch. We know we're not a long-term solution -- we're just a Band-Aid on the large wound that is hunger in America. But imagine a world with a little free pantry on every block. What a difference that could make!

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Central General Store is operated by Elizabeth Friedland. (That's me!) I firmly believe that it's our duty to be humanitarians. After all, the world isn't changed by our opinion of it; it's changed by our actions. 

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At first, I didn't think my neighborhood would be an ideal location for our first little free pantry (located at 52nd and Central Ave.). But after some research, I learned that nearly 12% of households in my zip code are living at or below the poverty line; that amounts to more than 3,500 families who may not have enough to eat. While the need may be more hidden in our neighborhood, it's very real.

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We quickly branched out with our second location at 2837 E. New York Street. The area is one of high need, with 27% of households living at or below the poverty line.

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We hope to continue to expand and join the amazing network of other hyper-local, micro pantries across the country, city and state.

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Fast Facts

• The 52nd and Central pantry empties out, on average, every 48 hours.​

• The New York and Rural pantry empties out, on average, every 6-12 hours.

• It costs approximately $83 to fully stock a pantry. 

• Central General Store was inspired by the global Little Free Pantry movement. More can be found at littlefreepantry.org

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