Asotin’s free food pantry open again

ASOTIN — Tina’s Free Food Cupboard is back in operation near Asotin City Hall, but the shelves are mostly bare.

Deputy Clerk Tina Davidson said she reopened the pantry late last week after receiving a letter from an Asotin County public health official that spells out her obligations and what types of food can be donated at the site. By Monday morning, almost every item was gone.

“This just goes to show how much this is needed in our community,” Davidson said. “These shelves were full of canned goods and other non-perishables before the weekend. Now it’s pretty much empty.”

The pantry, located at 121 Cleveland St., was closed for more than a month while Davidson worked with the health district to make sure all requirements are being met. Tina’s Free Food Cupboard does not qualify as a donated food distributing organization, according to the health district letter, but it can serve as a food donation location for “very specific types of shelf-stable foods.”

Unopened packages and canned goods with original labeling are OK, but no home canning or perishable items are allowed. Every donation has to be inspected by Davidson before it goes in the cupboard, and she is 100 percent liable for the food and distribution, according to the letter.

“If Asotin County Public Health receives a complaint, we are required to investigate,” wrote Sundie Hoffman, a food safety specialist. “If the complaint proves to be valid, and the pantry or its processes are out of compliance, it will be permanently shut down and not allowed to reopen by order of the Asotin County Public Health officer.”

The health district is also keeping tabs on a pop-up pantry in Clarkston that was sidelined during the same time period. The free food site behind the Clarkston post office has not been given the green light to reopen.

However, Kathy Hay, who started the Little Freedom Food Pantry, said she’s not backing down on her quest to offer free food to hungry people.

“I think I’m going to put more food in there tomorrow,” Hay said in a phone interview on Monday evening. “There’s no law against it. I think the health department is being unfair and unreasonable, and it just doesn’t seem right.”

Hay said she got the idea to start the downtown Clarkston pantry near her home a couple of months ago after making a big batch of chicken noodle soup that she wished she could share with her neighborhood. She searched “food sharing” on the internet, and discovered free food pantries in various locations throughout the country.

“After seeing those, I thought, ‘Gosh, I could do that,’ ” Hay told the Tribune. “There are several in Washington state. I saw one in Pullman and several in Spokane. I didn’t think it would be such a challenge here.”

Officials put the little pantry on notice after getting reports of possible food safety issues, such as wild game being donated at the site, outdated food, opened packages and cabinets too close to the ground that could be easily opened by a “critter.” An old refrigerator was being used for food storage.

“I’ve written the health district a letter that I plan to deliver this week,” Hay said. “I’m working on this. I don’t agree with what they are doing. If they close me down again, I’m going to start a petition.”

At Monday’s Asotin County Commission meeting, Chairman Jim Jeffords said the health district doesn’t have enough staffing to monitor the pop-up pantries, and the issue is “creating havoc.” The board of health discussed the pantries at its last regular meeting, and officials are leaning toward drafting some firm rules in the interest of public safety.

“We may need an ordinance with real clear guidelines,” Jeffords said. “That’s coming down the road.”

Once a law is on the books, the sheriff’s office will have to handle enforcement, Jeffords said.

The best option for people with “kind and caring hearts” is to donate food items to the Asotin County Food Bank, Jeffords said. A process is already in place to help folks get free food that meets all of the safety regulations.

Davidson has said the primary draw of her cupboard is the anonymity it provides. People like the idea of being able to grab some food without filling out any paperwork or proving their need, she said.

“They don’t have to come inside city hall and sign up or anything like that,” Davidson said. “Anyone who needs food can just stop by and get some. I was so excited when it reopened last week. As you can see, it’s pretty popular. I’ve been getting the word out on Facebook so we can get it stocked up again.”

Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.