LYFP CREW
The LYFP Crew
Meet the kind people who make sure the LYFP is stocked every day for our guests.
Ixi Blandon and family
Ixi is originally from Guatemala and has lived in Arlington for many years. She grew up in a kind family and has always been called to find opportunities to help others and the community. Her work at the pantry fulfills that calling in many ways.
Ixi says, “Pantry Crew also gives me an opportunity to teach my kids about community, sharing, kindness and diversity. For me and my family, pantry work has become a part of our routine and thoughts. We all have different roles: my husband carries donation boxes up and down; my 12-year-old daughter Ixel enjoys decanting and labeling cooking oil as well as unboxing and sorting; and my 3-year-old son John (who shares a birth year with the LYFP) enjoys filling up the tiny cart and pushing it to the pantry.
We are very proud members of the Little Yellow Free Pantry crew. Almost every night after dinner, everybody asks: “Do we have pantry duty tonight?’. Pantry duty is one of my favorite lessons!”. Ixel, Ixi, and John also made artwork for the pantry that is displayed on a rotational basis.
Favorite things to put in the pantry:
Ixi – Hormel Completes Meals
Mac – Dinty Moore Beef Stew (every time he puts one in the pantry he proclaims, “It’s a meal in a can!”)
Ixel – feminine hygiene products (tampons and pads)
John – gomitas (fruit chews)
Teresa Saunders
“I volunteer with the Pantry Crew because I believe that everyone deserves food to eat. I enjoy helping people gain access to food.” Teresa is an active volunteer in the community and supports several organizations.
Favorites item to put in the pantry: Canned fruit, because it is both healthy and tasty.
Ixel McIntire
Ixel is Ixi’s daughter. She enjoys decanting and labeling cooking oil as well as unboxing and sorting items for the pantry. Her favorite thing to put in the pantry: Feminine hygiene products (tampons and pads).
John McIntire
John is Ixi’s son. He shares a birth year with the LYFP and enjoys filling up the tiny cart and pushing it to the pantry. His favorite thing to put in the LYFP is gomitas (fruit chews).
Kasey VanderCrowd and family
Kasey and her daughter, June Bug, have officially served as pantry crew members since January 2024, however, they held the role of official “rice baggers” well before that. Kasey has always loved helping others, so when she crossed paths with Kindness Activist founder Susan Thompson-Gaines on their local Buy Nothing Group there was instant chemistry. Kasey wasn’t only interested in volunteering, she wanted to get her kids involved, too. She loves bringing her girls to the pantry storage shelves and letting them decide what to put in the pantry. Hearing their rationale for choosing items is so sweet and brings her much joy.
June Bug has been involved with the pantry since she was 4.5 years old. She has been in charge of unpacking boxes and of bagging and labeling rice (she often makes special drawings on the rice bags). June Bug’s favorite part of pantry duty is, “Filling up the pantry and watching people come get the food out.” Ryder started on the pantry crew when she was 2.5 years old. Her favorite part of pantry duty is loading up the tiny child-sized shopping cart with goodies and putting them in the pantry. Oh, and we can’t forget the MOST fun party of pantry duty – enjoying a snack while doing their work!
Favorite things to put in the pantry:
Kasey – combos – like spaghetti plus sauce, or waffle mix plus syrup
June Bug – toothpaste and toothbrush
Ryder – gummy bears
June Bug
June Bug is Kasey’s daughter. She has been involved with the pantry since she was 4.5 years old. She has been in charge of unpacking boxes and of bagging and labeling rice (she often makes special drawings on the rice bags). June Bug’s favorite part of pantry duty is, “Filling up the pantry and watching people come get the food out.”
Susan and David
Susan is the founder of the Little Yellow Free Pantry. When she looks back now to when it all began in 2021, she laughs at remembering being nervous that no one would come to get food. “We put up signs in multiple languages all around saying things like, “Need food? Free groceries!”. Four years later and we sure do not need signs now – we have guests at the pantry 24 hours a day.
Susan and David had no idea how big this “little” pantry would become. What was first a few plastic bins of donated cans has grown into shelves and shelves of pantry stock in their basement. “Filling the LYFP is often the first thing I do in the morning, and the last thing I do before bed,” Susan explains. “I’ve met many amazing guests and donors thru the pantry. I love that – it really builds community. One of my favorite parts is that guests, people who are food insecure themselves, are often also donors. They give extra food that they have received other places and exchange it for things we have that they need. That eco-system helps everyone feel respected and valued.”
David, partner of Susan, is the pantry handyman. He built the first LYFP out of an Ikea nightstand by adding doors, a roof, and a sturdy post in the ground to display it. He put in motion activated lights so that the pantry would be lit up at night and guests could see what was inside. David maintains the pantry, and on year 3 built a completely new one from scratch. He also fills up the pantry from time to time, and often helps Susan carry items from the basement to the pantry when they are too heavy.
Favorite items to put in the pantry:
Susan – Hormel Completes Meals and summer sausages
David – fresh fruit and vegetables