There is a new mini pantry in Santaquin, thanks to the support of many community members, and is now available for use near the Santaquin City Library at 45 West 100 South.
My name is Jaxen Jensen. I live in Santaquin, I am a Senior at Payson High School, and am a member of Scout Troop 101 based in Genola. I recently completed the mini food pantry as my Eagle Scout service project that I hope will give residents a convenient place to donate food or receive a little help during a difficult time.
When I began looking for a project, I was not initially sure of what I specifically wanted to do. But when I heard about doing a mini food pantry, I loved it right away. It’s the perfect kind of thing you look for in an Eagle Scout project: small enough that you can handle organizing it, but still has a meaningful and lasting impact after you are done.
The project was inspired by the mini food pantry at 449 W. Utah Avenue in Payson. That pantry has been successfully operating and serving its community for several years already, and I wanted to create something similar for Santaquin. And while it did become a larger undertaking than I initially expected, seeing it completed and witnessing the success it has already had, has made the project even more meaningful.
I started the project in July, and by the first week of August, it was up and running, and since then, the mini food pantry here in Santaquin has been filled to the brim with food ready for anyone who may need it.
The idea behind it is simple: neighbors helping neighbors. Because the pantry does not require staffing or regular business hours, it is intended to be accessible almost anytime someone needs it. This also means, however, that it cannot provide a sustained food source, but it may help a person or family put together a few meals while going through a temporary hardship. It works best in conjunction with other food assistance programs.
Although I led the project, many other people contributed to make this possible. The Santaquin City Council was very helpful in helping find a way for me to put this together for our community. We also had an anonymous business donor and many other people contribute to help fund the project. There were also many volunteers from our community and Troop 101 who helped me build it.
Making this mini food pantry was a big team effort and I am so grateful to everyone who pitched in to make it possible.
It was officially completed on August 3, it opened for use on August 6, and was handed over to Santaquin City on August 18. The city will be in charge of it going forward.
I hope the pantry continues to be a place where people give what they can and take what they need. More than anything, I hope it shows that even a small contribution can make a meaningful difference for a neighbor.
Submitted B Jaxen Jensen
