HOBE SOUND, Fla. — A Hobe Sound mom is helping neighbors stretch their budgets by setting up a Little Free Pantry right outside her home, aimed at easing the strain of rising food costs.
What started as a simple Facebook post to ensure local families could access basic necessities, has grown into a steady source of support for anyone in need—no questions asked.
“I knew the second I posted on that group that Hobe Sound was going to show up for us because that’s what we do, we are a tight knit community,” said Jacquelyn Koester.
Located just steps from her home, behind the Hobe Sound Public Library, the pantry is stocked with food and baby essentials for families who may be struggling to keep up with higher prices.
“When gas prices went up and food prices went up it was just emptying about faster than I can replace it,” Koester said.
Still, she says the community response has been overwhelming, with donations regularly filling the shelves after she put out a call for help on Facebook.
“Someone posted in the Facebook group anonymously saying I drove up from Jupiter for this, this is going to help get me through my week,” she said.
Koester says those messages are what keep her motivated to maintain the pantry and keep it accessible to anyone who needs it.
“The saying it takes a village is so true and the villages look a lot different than they used to, but people still show up for each other and people want to help,” she said.
Now, what sits outside her home is more than just a pantry—it’s a steady stream of community support for families trying to make ends meet.
For more information on how to access the pantry, visit this Facebook group created by Koester.
