A Small Cupboard Making a Big Difference
Mill Lake Community Cupboard
Have you heard about community cupboards? Community cupboards function like a community library nook, but instead of being filled with books, they are filled with food! Just like community library nooks, you can take some food or leave some food.
In the past few years, you may have seen some around our town! Mill Lake Church is a partner of Archway’s Food Justice program that has been running a community cupboard since November 2023.
Community cupboards are typically filled with non-perishable items such as canned goods, rice, pasta, baby formula, and snacks. They may also be stocked with some non-food items such as menstrual products, diapers, and toilet paper. They are easy to access as food is available 24hrs as long as it is stocked!
Thinking about filling the cupboard? Here are some fun tips:
- When you are out getting groceries and notice a buy 1, get 1 free deal, consider keeping one for you and stocking the cupboard with the other!
- Have an item in your cupboard that you don’t use? Consider swapping it out with another item in the cupboard that you would use!
- Thinking of a fun and easy way your community group could give back to the community? Consider gathering some canned items to stock the cupboard!
- As the community cupboard is not refrigerated, please do not leave fresh produce, meat, or prepared meals in the cupboard
The Mill Lake Community Cupboard is a place where kids can grab a quick snack on their walk home from school, families can grab the final ingredients needed for a nutritious dinner, or be the extra support needed for a household to be fed this week.
In the past few months, there has been an increase in community members from diverse cultural backgrounds who are regularly contributing food to the community cupboard. One parent shared that they now visit weekly with their children to donate, after having relied on the cupboard in the past.
Deborah is one of the many dedicated volunteers who helps restock the Community Cupboard daily to ensure the shelves are filled and ready for those who depend on this vital resource.
While restocking the Cupboard one afternoon, she struck up a conversation with a passerby. In a quiet voice, they shared something that stayed with her:
“This cupboard makes the difference on whether I can eat each week.”
It was such a small exchange, but it carried a big impact. It was a reminder that donations aren’t just food on a shelf – they’re comfort, dignity, and understanding. Sometimes, something as simple as an easy-to-open can or a familiar favourite can make someone feel seen, cared for, and supported, even if just for a moment. And thanks to volunteers like Deborah, the Community Cupboard continues to be a source of dignity, hope, and nourishment.
This is just one of many creative ways to meet people where they are at and ensure everyone has access to food. Can’t make it to this drop off location, all of the grocery stores in Abbotsford have food drop off bins that are picked up by Archway Food Bank. We’re all working together to ensure everyone has the food they need.