Her DIY food pantry was a hit in Arlington. Then the Thanksgiving donations came
Sitting outside her southeast Arlington home with a flock of frozen turkeys and shelves of canned goods, Keish Board Cash and her helpers were ready to hand out holiday meals.
Board Cash, her children and her neighbors had food for 13 families who signed up for Thanksgiving dinner. As families drove up one by one, the group collected prepared bags full of ingredients to load in their trunks. Board Cash had planned to give out one or two turkeys and as many canned goods as she could find. The people who have rallied around her service efforts over the past several months donated several more birds and armfuls of ingredients.
“To see that they have a heart like that, it felt good to see it wasn’t just me — that it’s others out here who feel the same way,” Board Cash said.
For months, she has wheeled out a stocked pantry, toiletries and clothes to the edge of her lawn for anyone passing by in need. While she did not stay outside to watch, neighbors told her that people intermittently walked by or stopped on their bikes.
Board Cash, who grew up with little food around, had the idea early in the year, before coronavirus gained foothold in the U.S. The initial surge of case numbers in spring, as well as reports of increased mental health problems attributed to the pandemic, pushed her to act on it.
“I was just hoping that maybe doing something kind would make them feel that they will be OK,” Board Cash said.
Her pantry started as a smattering of extra rice and bean packets from her kitchen, nestled in her wooden pantry. Eventually, people noticed and left donations.
Over time, she gained more donors and volunteers who helped her keep the pantry running. When her first pantry stopped working, Marvin and Raquel Sutton supplied her a metal one. Her neighbor, Fred McConnell, bought her a clothing rack.
Marvin Sutton, an Arlington City Council member, said people like Board Cash helped his family enjoy the holidays growing up with their acts of kindness.
“Just having someone take the time to think about the less fortunate, the people who are economically challenged, makes a big difference in their lives,” Sutton said. “It made a big difference in my life that people thought enough of my family to donate.”
McConnell, the Suttons and several more joined her Thanksgiving meal delivery efforts, whether by donating, bagging up or handing out items.
“Hopefully it’ll help them get through some rough times, and when they’re at a point where they can give back, then they’ll do the same,” McConnell said.
Planning ahead
Board Cash did not expect the food pantry to garner attention, but with the help of her newfound “family” of volunteers, she hopes to make Christmas special as well.
“We have some dreams and hopefully we can make that happen,” Board Cash said.
Part of those dreams include hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of families and giving out clothes and hygiene products.
A few years ago, Board Cash received help when she could not give her children Christmas presents. She remembered having the “biggest smile” on her face that holiday, as she, her daughter and son sang holiday tunes and decorated cupcakes. Years later, she said, she’d like another family to have the same experience.
“I want to bring that same type of smile that was brought to me and my family,” Board Cash said.
Through several other online groups, she leads or takes part in several other community efforts. Years ago, she started a group that delivers presents to others dressed in fairy costumes. The group now has several hundred members. Board Cash also participates in seed exchanges and would like to help teach others how to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Regardless of other groups or holiday goals, Board Cash said she plans to maintain the pantry after the pandemic.
“I plan to keep it going, if blessed,” she said. “You just never know how things work to where I could be able to help way more people.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
