Picked clean: Free food pantries struggle to stay stocked in Crete

CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) – The shelves of Crete’s Little Free Pantries are being emptied almost as soon as they get stocked.

Sonia Royle-Benak fills the pantry outside of her home whenever she can.

But within a day, she said it gets picked clean by people in need.

She said in the past month, she has noticed a sudden jump in people needing food and other items.

“It’s just really, really hard right now for everyone,” Royle-Benak said. “Also, we live in Crete – a smaller town – which is great, but we don’t have access to a Dollar Tree or Super Saver, where the prices are less expensive.”

And it’s not just the food that goes fast – it’s also the hygiene products like deodorant and tampons.

Royle-Benak is in charge of organizing the Little Free Pantries around Crete and said this is a common theme at each one.

But she believes a lack of understanding is to blame for the constant struggle to keep pantries stocked.

“A lot of people have asked, ‘Does that even get used?'” she said.

Royle-Benak said that shows the people who have the resources to give back aren’t aware of the needs in the community or how to help.

So she is calling on the people of Crete to help support the pantries by bringing supplies or spreading the word.