All stories
Pantry
5 min read
Three years, 84,000 visits: what the Neighbour Pantry has learned
Our longest-running program has changed shape every year. Dev Raman explains what we stopped doing and why.
By
Dev Raman
Programs Director
Fewer forms, more food
When the pantry opened we asked everyone for a postcode and a reason for visiting. Within a month we realised the forms were keeping away the people who most needed us.
We dropped them. The number of households visiting tripled in a season, and what we lost in data we gained in trust.
What we would tell anyone starting out
Open on the days people can actually come
Stock what people ask for, not what is easiest to donate
Treat every visitor as a guest, never a case
Three years in, the shelves are busier than ever, and so is the volunteer rota.
Community Fund 2026
Help us serve 250,000 meals this year
Every gift to the Community Fund keeps the pantry, kitchen and water projects open. Watch the total grow as neighbours chip in.
U
Upliftly
A community charity feeding neighbours, mentoring young adults and bringing clean water closer to home.
Elm Street Hall, 214 Elm Street, Harlow Bend
(555) 010-0142
hello@upliftly.example
Demo content. Upliftly Foundation is a fictional charity.