Animal Welfare Professionals

We opened our Pet Pantry in January of this year.  We are using a public storage unit and have distribution one day per month, for one hour.  Traffic in and out of the storage unit during this hour is about 100 cars.  The storage unit has just informed us that they are getting complaints from other customers about the traffic.   We need to look for another place to house our pantry -- and have been actively fundraising and applying for grants to possibly buy a storage shed-type building.  But, in the meantime, what are some ideas for locations of a small pantry with those specifications above.  The two charity founders work FT jobs separate from the charity, so this would not be a pantry that would be open daily for customer traffic.

#PetSupportServices*

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Karen Kirsch
Founder
Spayed and Aid
KY
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Many churches will allow you to do the distribution there and they typically have plenty of parking. If you were to be able to get a shed they might also allow you to put it on their property. You could also check with your local Veterans Services Officer to see if they have any ideas as I'm sure that some of your recipients of food are also veterans. If you have a local Meals on Wheels Program they may have space to store the pet food as well as the capacity to have the distribution at that location too. I've also found that VFW's are helpful and have a lot of contacts and ideas to help even if they're not able to help directly. Speaking with the city administrator might also be worth your time because you never know when the city has some unused space that could help.

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Ashley Dames
CEO
Beyond the Fight Initiative
FL
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I agree with Ashley that churches are an excellent suggestion, as well as discussing this with the VFW (often events and charities are held in spaces such as these) - your local community center or sports center might also allow it, along with any (human) sheltering organizations.  The most important thing to remember is sharing that there is a need (like you did here) and see if anyone knows of other locations in your area willing to help.  If you have a social media platform, the need for space could be shared there as well.

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Denise Manning
Grant Writer
Out of the Pits
NY
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Finding a new space for your pet pantry with limited hours can be tough. Consider community centers, local businesses, or public parks for temporary solutions. Also, explore mobile pantry options or collaborate with other organizations. Keep fundraising for a permanent location while you explore these options.

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nolan maris
Veterinary technician
Gentle Hands Animal Hospital
CA
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