A Gloucester County man who's been giving back his community by feeding those in need, from a food pantry he started in his garage, is expanding his effort.

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Barney Corrigan's original food pantry at his home in Westville consisted of a small wooden cabinet just big enough to hold some can goods he offered to any neighbors in need of them.

His pantry soon caught so much attention that he started cash transfer accounts to field monetary donations, according to NJ.com. He was eventually able to purchase so much food that Barney's Place Food Pantry expanded to his garage.


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This fellow is running a free food pantry out of his New Jersey garage. The link in our bio has more.

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Twice a month (every other weekend), Barney would welcome anyone in his community experiencing food insecurity to come and take what they need from the garage. “I’m just trying to do my part to spread a little love and compassion,” he tells NJ.com.

But Barney's food pantry garnered so much attention, that he began receiving donations from across the country. A good problem to have, except that he's run out of garage space.

He tells 6abc.com, "Little by little, it's just outgrown our house. It crept into our living room and now it's in our dining room, and we're in desperate need of a building."

Now, Barney's on a new mission. He's got a mobile food pantry truck, and he plans on essentially living in it until he's able to raise the funds needed with Barney's Pantry Truck Lockdown.

"I'm not leaving until we have a building," Barney tells 6abc.com. "Either we raise enough money or, you know, we find someone that has a building in this area that's willing to donate to us."

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Posted by Barney’s Place Food Pantry Inc. on Sunday, January 10, 2021

With so many still out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks remain strapped as more families reach out for help, and the need for donations becomes greater.

Corrigan tells NJ.com he feels his garage pantry has offered a less-intimidating option for those needing food donations. He says, '“I’ve noticed a mom will come one weekend and then the next weekend it’s her and her husband. Then the kids will come and the kids are picking out things. They feel comfortable.”

Find more information about Barney's Place Food Pantry in Westville on its official Facebook page.

SOURCES: 6abc.com; Barney's Place Food Pantry/Facebook NJ.com; njdotcom/instagram

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