KINGSTON -- After 37-year-old Kyle James restocked one of Kitsap County's little free pantries in October, he noticed how the donations seemed to disappear overnight. He guessed this likely had to do with the government shutdown, as thousands of Kitsap's active-duty military and shipyard workers struggled to make ends meet without pay for more than month.

But when James learned the historically-long shutdown might also cut SNAP benefits for November, which 1 in 8 Americans rely on , he said his frustration became too pent-up and needed release.

That's when James, owner of Kitsap Metal & Design, texted his neighbor, 31-year-old Caleb Sarginson, with the idea of fronting the costs and labor to build a free pantry for the Gamblewood neighborhood where they live in Kingston, with the twist

See Full Page