Brooklyn coffee shop adds food pantry to help customers during pandemic

A coffee shop in Brooklyn is helping people stay caffeinated during the pandemic and making sure they don't go hungry, transforming part of their business into a food pantry.

News 12 Staff

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Apr 30, 2020, 11:06 AM

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Updated 1,455 days ago

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A coffee shop in Brooklyn is helping people stay caffeinated during the pandemic and making sure they don't go hungry, transforming part of their business into a food pantry.

When the pandemic struck, Patricia Manwaring knew her coffee shop needed to do something to help customers who were losing their jobs and homes.

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She says she wanted to help by feeding them.

"The virus is already claiming too many lives, we can't allow hunger to claim [lives] anymore," says Manwaring, owner of Roots Cafe.

The sign outside Roots Cafe says they're offering free soups and sandwiches, but that's actually just a small part of what they're doing for the community.

"You could have a free soup and a free sandwich, and then shop the pantry for free," says Manwaring.

Roots Cafe has also become a food pantry for anyone who needs it. They offer canned foods, pasta, fruits, vegetables and toiletries.

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"We couldn't do it without the community standing with us. We started this with empty tables," says Manwaring.

Volunteers and donations have poured in from the neighborhood, and much of the funding for the food has come through their GoFundMe and Amazon Wishlist.

"A lot of people come in on Sundays and pick up and say they can make it almost a whole week from what they've gotten," says Guinevere McMichael, food pantry coordinator.

Volunteers are also delivering pantry items to people who can't leave their homes to come to the shop.

"It means so much to me to be able to be someone who helps provide for people," says McMichael.

Roots Cafe says they want to expand their deliveries, but need more funding and volunteers.

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