OAK PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — An Oak Park family is leading a grassroots solution to hunger through their front yard pantry that has served the community since the pandemic began in 2020.
Rutth and Greg Markarian built a little pantry in their front yard at the corner of Seneca and Kenwood streets in Oak Park, offering free non-perishable foods, fruits, vegetables, toiletries and books to anyone in need.
"Oak Park is amazing. We'll be here nine years this year and this is where we plan on dying. We love this community so much," Rutth Markarian said.
The couple's commitment to their neighborhood goes beyond words and is demonstrated through years of action.
"It's like when you were younger and your parents would say it takes a village to raise a family and everything else. It's like that's exactly what it is," Ruth Markarian said.
Greg Markarian, a handyman, built the little pantry from scratch in 2020 just as the pandemic hit.
"It was at the end of my street and I was like wait, what is that," said Ellen Finn, who lives in Oak Park. "So I started coming around and seeing what that was and it was like there was food."
The Markarians' motivation stems from their own past struggles. Rutth Markarian explained that the family once fell on hard times and knows what it's like to need help but encounter bureaucratic obstacles.
"At the time, it was just really, really stressful," Rutth Markarian said.
"So when we finally got our foot on track and everything, that's when I started looking into ways that we could help other families and everything. So that's when I started collecting things and I would basically do like a free garage sale."
What began in their car has evolved into a community resource that they estimate serves approximately 100 people weekly.
"I had people in Lake Orion contact me and ask, I'm this far away, can I still get help? I'm like yeah, you can live in Alaska for all I care. You need help, you just come get it," Rutth Markarian said.
The Oak Park Gifting Little Pantry has no eligibility requirements or barriers to receiving assistance.
"In any case whether you need it desperately or you just need a can of soup, it's here to take advantage of it and I've just always appreciated that," said Finn, who is retired. "Now that I'm retired, there's times when I know there's gonna be soup down there and I know there's gonna be noodles down there, so I'll come down and take advantage of it, but I try to leave stuff there for people that need it more than I do."
When supplies run low, the Markarians often post on Facebook, which rallies neighbors to help restock the pantry. The couple also uses a portion of Greg Markarian's monthly income to keep the pantry stocked, as they operate independently without government assistance.
"One of the things we both agreed upon is that it's food and everybody should be able to eat," Greg Markarian said.
After five years of service and with continued community support, the Markarians remain committed to their mission.
"Even if one person came a week, it would still be out here," Ruth Markarian said.
Donations can be dropped off on their front porch.
—————
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
