Gloucester County Man Starts Food Pantry in His Garage for Hungry Neighbors

A Gloucester County man is giving back to his community by using his own home garage as a food pantry.

Barney Corrigan's original food pantry at his home in Westville consisted of a small wooden cabinet just big enough to hold some can goods he offered to any neighbors in need of them.

His pantry soon caught so much attention that he started cash transfer accounts to field monetary donations, according to NJ.com. He was eventually able to purchase so much food that Barney's Place Food Pantry expanded to his garage.

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This fellow is running a free food pantry out of his New Jersey garage. ❤️ The link in our bio has more.

A post shared by NJ.com (@njdotcom) on Aug 3, 2020 at 2:00pm PDT

Now, twice a month (every other weekend), Barney welcomes anyone in his community who may be hungry and currently unable to put food on the table, to come and take what they need from the garage. “I’m just trying to do my part to spread a little love and compassion,” he tells NJ.com.

With so many still out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks remain strapped as more families reach out for help, and the need for donations becomes greater.

Corrigan tells NJ.com he feels his garage pantry offers a less-intimidating option for those needing food donations. He says, '“I’ve noticed a mom will come one weekend and then the next weekend it’s her and her husband. Then the kids will come and the kids are picking out things. They feel comfortable.”

Find more information about Barney's Place Food Pantry in Westville on its official Facebook page.

SOURCES: Barney's Place Food Pantry/Facebook NJ.com; njdotcom/instagram