HAZEL PARK, Mich. – Lined with canned goods, pasta, fresh produce, and bare essentials, a small pop-up food pantry in Hazel Park is quietly helping neighbors get by, and restoring a sense of community in the process.
It’s not a formal charity or a government program.
The HP Food Pantry began just weeks ago in the driveway of neighbor Terra Strohm‑Klein, near the corner of Meyers Avenue and Caledonia Avenue.
The setup in the quiet neighborhood is simple.
There’s a cabinet and a cart stocked with food. It’s open to anyone who needs it.
“Every day there’s activity,” said Strohm‑Klein.
The pantry operates on a simple principle printed on a nearby sign: “Take what you need. Give what you can.”
Neighbors stop by to pick up canned fruit and vegetables, dried goods like beans and pasta, cereal, and, occasionally, fresh produce. When supplies run low, the community responds to donation requests.
“It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors,” Strohm‑Klein said. “We stopped really talking to our neighbors. I think there’s a need for that.”
Strohm‑Klein added that her late husband’s giving nature inspired her to create the pantry as a small way to support people in the neighborhood.
A hand‑painted reminder of the pantry’s spirit sits nearby: lyrics from a Youngbloods song, “Come on people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try to love one another right now.”
It’s a visible cue that small acts can have a big impact, Strohm‑Klein says.
“People want to help,” Strohm‑Klein said. “If you do bring things and you feel like stocking it, feel free to do so, because someone inevitably needs the food that you’re bringing.”
Anyone who wants to donate items can drop them off on Strohm‑Klein’s front porch or by the garage.
The pantry is located at the corner of Meyers Avenue and Caldonia in Hazel Park.
Donations of shelf‑stable foods are all welcome.
The HP Food Pantry is a grassroots effort built on trust and neighborliness, a simple, local solution for the everyday problem of food insecurity.
Neighbors say the pantry fills a gap, acting as a bridge for those facing tough times.
For now, it remains a community‑run resource: no sign‑ups, no forms, just a cabinet, a cart, and people looking out for each other.