Community members in need of food, toiletries, and other necessities have another place to get them now that Keene Public Library has debuted its Sharing Box, free food pantry donated by Roger Weinreich of Good Fortune Jewelry and Pawn. The new Sharing Box, located near the Winter Street entrance of Keene Public Library, is open 24 hours a day and 7/days a week. No ID is required, and everyone is welcome to give and receive food or other items from the box. This is the second Sharing Box in Keene, with the first located on Main Street outside Good Fortune.
On May 24, 2022, library officials, staff, and other community leaders held an opening ceremony for the new Sharing Box. Keene Public Library Director Marti Fiske explained that community members could access the pantry 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for free access to food, toiletries, and miscellaneous items like can openers forks, and paper towels. The Sharing Box was designed and constructed by Andrew Shurman and was installed at the library with the support of Keene Public Library's Board of Trustees and the City of Keene. Weinreich aims to place Sharing Boxes throughout Keene and the Monadnock region to help support the community's needs with barrier-free access to food and personal supplies.
The new Sharing Box builds on Keene Public Library's long tradition of serving the community. In 2015, Keene Public Library began serving federally funded lunches in the summertime to children to ensure that they don't go hungry. More recently, summer lunches have been expanded to include adults so that no one in the family goes hungry. This summer, Keene Public Library's summer meal program will begin on Monday, June 20, 2022. Meals will be served from noon until 1 p.m. Families may enjoy their meals in Keene Public Library's Putnam Atrium, Gallup-Minard Courtyard, or take their meals off-site to enjoy at home.
Keene Public Library is located at 60 Winter Street. All programs at the library are free and open to the public. For more information about Keene Public Library's food security initiatives, please call Gail Zachariah or Marti Fiske at 603-352-0157.