Ravenna’s own pet food pantry
Ryanne Locker
Rene Lamp started her food pantry, the People Care Pet Pantry, after reading an article in 2009 from Colorado about a different pet pantry. This pantry was created to support people who were struggling with feeding their families but also their pets. They are working to make no one has to surrender their pets because of the lack of supplies.
Q: What gave you the inspiration to start your food pantry?
A: “I started the pantry 11 years ago, and I was working and we had a low economy at that point. My hours got cut and I had my pets and I kept seeing stories of people giving up their pets and there were stories of people that were feeding them their people food. I just got to think there had to be something in between giving up your pets and doing good. I decided I was going to start a pet food pantry. So I started it by asking friends to buy a bag of food and give it to me and I would go on Craigslist and anybody that was surrendering pets, I would ask them why and if it was because of food, I would give them food so they wouldn’t have to.”
Q: What has been your favorite part of doing your work?
A: “It’s the people. They are so grateful and not only the people we help, but the people that have become involved over the years, and that have been supporting it are just amazing people. I’m amazed every day when I talk to somebody that needs help. It just shows the love of the people.”
Q: How has COVID affected your work?
A: “It changed how we do things we used to be able to do regular distributions. When we were on lockdown. We actually had to have people in time slots come to the house. And because all of a sudden nobody was out without a job. Our calls went massively up because nobody had a job. So now it’s effect is that we had to switch to drive-thru distributions where there’s no contact, which takes longer. It means fewer people can schedule for distribution.”
Q: What keeps you doing this work?
A: “I’m all for the animals that have been helped in the past, seeing the animals and the families so happy when they can stay. Just making a difference in people’s lives and the pet supplies, being able to keep them together as a unit instead of having them go to the shelter.”
Q: Has social media and COVID changed how people get involved?
A: “So we’re actually reaching more people that want to help and because we’ve had so many more people step up just from social media, wanting to help, and we wouldn’t have that without social media. I think a lot of people want to help but they don’t know how to or who to ask. So when they see us, they want to jump on board and help, so that wouldn’t be possible without social media. Even more so now with the COVID going on.”
Q: Is there anything you want people to know about your pantry?
A: “When I made it and I’ve kept to this day we don’t go based on income we go based on situations. A lot of people say we’re based on income so they don’t call us because they are in a temporary situation and we don’t go by county… I actually talked to everyone and got to know what’s going on. I know every one of the people that contact us. And I think that makes a difference and people are wanting to donate, they want to know that somebody personally is talking to these people.”
If you want to help or need help from the People Care Pet Pantry, you can contact them on their Facebook or by their phone number 330 – 389 – 5116.
