Sayville Teens Install Another Little Free Pantry At Library

SAYVILLE, NY — A few months ago, a group of Sayville teens helped their community creating the community's first "Little Free Pantries" — but they did not stop there.

In December, Molly Brady, Courtney Thornton, Fallon Santoro, Elizabeth Sheehan, and Loghan McNamara started a campaign on GoFundMe to help raise money for two kits to create the two food donation pantries.

The teens planned to raise at least $2,500 to purchase the two mini-libraries that are often used to donate books, but instead use them to collect foods for those who need them and install them at different locations in Sayville.

Then this past month, the girls installed another one at the Sayville Library on 88 Greene Avenue.

"We were thrilled when the young ladies chose the Sayville Library as a location for a Little Free Pantry," Jennifer T. Fowler, library director, said in a statement. "It really falls right in line with the Library's own mission of helping the community. "

After installing the first pantries, the five were honored by Islip Town officials, who presented them with citations for their efforts.

"I am so impressed with their initiative and dedication to helping those in need. Over the course of the pandemic, the Library has worked closely with the Sayville food pantry and the Sharing A Meal Soup Kitchen to connect residents who are experiencing food insecurity with the proper resources," Fowler said. "The Library is dedicated to fostering these types of community relationships. These young ladies are a wonderful example of how collaboration can make a huge difference."

The teens started this project to help combat the issue of food insecurity in the area. The pantries will allow residents to donate food into the little boxes and allow those in need to collect them from the same boxes.

"By recognizing that food insecurity is a real issue, and then actually taking steps to be part of the solution - well, that speaks volumes for their character and for the upcoming generation," she said.