PAINESVILLE, Ohio — Community is all about helping one another and that’s exactly what one organization in Northeast Ohio is doing.
“Right now, I’m stocking the little free pantry that my charity, “Little Annie’s Hope Train,” personally owns,” Anne Kline said.
Kline started “Little Annie’s Hope Train” to help feed her community.
“We always keep non-perishable food items, hygiene items, and I just started a seed program. So every now and then I’ll place a packet of seeds for anybody in the area who might be interested in growing their own food,” she said.
At least once a week, Kline visits the 16 free food pantries in Lake and Geauga counties to restock them.
“We’ve often met people that will see us stocking it and they’ll be bringing a bag to take food in need,” she said.
Kline said the areas where the pantries are located are mainly food deserts, where residents don’t have easy access to grocery stores. These areas are typically low-income, so it’s important for the community to come together to lend a hand.
“Those who donate to the food pantries, we’re creating a sense of community, especially for those in need. And the folks that are in need they realize that there are a lot of people out there that do care about them especially in these challenging times,” she said.
“Little Annie’s Hope Train” also provides other services for those in need such as beds for kids who don’t have one, an ID program to help those without a home get their birth certificate and ID, and caring walls in the community with free items for anyone who needs them.
