8-year-old raises over $3,000 for new Little Free Pantry
MARTIN, Tenn. — Back in March, 8-year-old Barrett Bowers raised $3,360 through a hot chocolate business for a school project.
He decided he wanted to use the funds to purchase a new building for the Little Free Pantry in Martin after their original building was destroyed in a storm.
That new building has now arrived. Owner Lisa Griffin says she couldn’t be more grateful.
“I love the new food pantry. It’s awesome. It works really well, especially in rough weather. When we have high winds or if the rain is bad, people can come in, get what they want, look and see what’s there and stay dry,” Lisa Griffin said.
Bowers says he is excited to see how many people will be impacted by the new building.
“I feel happy. I like it. It’s nice, and I like helping others. I’m just happy that others are getting food and other things, such as clothes or anything like that,” Bowers said.
Bowers was in charge of choosing the entire design of the building, and he says it was important to find one perfect enough to match the Griffin’s home.
“At that time, I didn’t know what color the house was. We didn’t know how long it would’ve been,” Bowers said. “We figured, get the smallest one and I chose a color for the house and it kind of matched.”
The pantry has been in operation for a while now.
The overall goal is to feed many people in need. The Griffins says they can now help even more than before.
“We could see anywhere from 10 people a week to 60 people a week. It just kind of depends on what their needs are,” said owner Tony Griffin.
The Griffins say they can’t thank Bowers enough for what he has done.
“I think it’s amazing. Barrett is an amazing young man. He’ll go far in his life,” Lisa Griffin said.
Barrett says the giving doesn’t stop here. He says next on his list is providing a free pantry in his hometown of Gleason.
The Griffins say they want to provide food to those who are truly in need. They ask that if you get food from the pantry, you do so in moderation.
For more information on the pantry or how you can donate, you can visit their Facebook page.
You can also donate through Simmons Bank in Martin.
The account is “thelittlefreepantry-Martin.”
