The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County recently launched a pilot program in Anaheim, California, called The Lion’s Den, a permanent food pantry located on an elementary school campus. The Lion’s Den Permanent School Pantry aims to serve families at the school as well as other members of the surrounding community.
The Lion’s Den is client-centered, offering customers weekly five-minute appointments during which they have the opportunity to fill two bags with groceries and other household goods from the pantry. The pantry receives fresh deliveries each day, including produce, meat, dairy, canned goods, and paper products, similar to what is stocked in a conventional grocery store.
The Lion’s Den Permanent School Pantry is staffed by volunteers who are trained to provide a dignified shopping environment for people in need.