SPOKANE, Wash. — Several restaurants and businesses are helping people who may not have enough food right now.
Axels Pawn Shop says many of its customers are worried about how food stamp funding might affect their ability to feed their families. So today it set up a free food pantry that anyone can use.
“Most people are closer to needing food stamps than they are to being a billionaire. That’s pretty much my life theory on it. So if you can, help. Why not?” said Carli Karlson, owner of Axels Pawn Shop.
Karlson says the food pantry is available with no questions asked and she hopes people will also donate food to support their effort. They also have a list of other places that offer food assistance for those that need it.
“It’s no questions asked, no judgment. It’s food, you shouldn’t have to ask for it. Come in if you need something, we’ll take care of you as much as we can,” Karlson said.
The Supper Club is planning to help by offering a community freezer. Owner Martha Domitrovich said they are putting together shelf-stable meal kits for little free pantries throughout town.
“Food is the easiest way to love everyone. I think that when you have large problems that you’re trying to deal with, if you have a full belly it’s easier to focus on the things that have more of a priority,” Domitrovich said.
The Supper Club plans to give meal kits to local food banks and also have prepared meals in the community freezer at its Nine Mile location.
“I have shelf stable meal kits that we’re putting together that we’re going to be stocking in all of the little free pantries throughout town. We’re also installing our own free pantry at our Nine Mile location this week,” Domitrovich said.
Hidden Bagel on the South Hill is gearing up to serve meals for $3 per person. Owner Jennifer Davis said the meals will include options like spaghetti and chili.
“Even just things like spaghetti and using leftover bagels for the garlic butter and bread. Chili, cornbread, maybe chili and bagels, I don’t know,” Davis said.
The program will start next week and people will be able to pay online or in person, and they can pay it forward if they want to pay for someone else’s meal.
“It’s really showing people, or inspiring [people] to take what you have and create something that could help somebody else,” Davis said.
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