West Elizabeth business owners offer free pantry for those who need help

It’s located at Liquid Vibes Coffee in The Shoppes at Historic Lincoln Square.

Business owners in West Elizabeth are doing their part to help neighbors in need.

With federal SNAP benefits currently on hold due to the federal government shutdown, Liquid Vibes Coffee in The Shoppes at Historic Lincoln Square, located at 800 Fifth St., along with many other women-owned businesses in the building, created a pantry in one of the building’s hallways.

The pantry, located at the top of the stairs of Liquid Vibes, is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Updated times every week can be found online.

Limited to 10 to 15 items per person, per visit, per week, the pantry has a selection of food and hygiene items donated by businesses and neighbors.

Liquid Vibes owner Jami Coughenour, who started the pantry, said she has owned the physical business for more than a year — moving from a food truck to an actual space.

“(West Elizabeth) is actually a really cool place, it’s like a hub, and you really don’t realize how often you go through here to go somewhere else,” Coughenour said. “It’s easy to get to, and it’s still one of those small town communities where they still have a post office where people get their mail. Everybody is out, everybody talks to each other.”

She wanted to help those in need with no judgment, and she wanted to move into an actual space to be able to serve coffee.

“We are in such a supportive community in this building with the building owners and the other businesses,” Coughenour said. “We came here, there was a space upstairs in the hallway and we had a shelf that was available. It started months ago, and the other businesses would put things on it here and there, and it was always stocked. With the recent events, it has become bigger than it was.”

People from all over have come to grab items from the pantry, according to Coughenour. Recently, someone took everything out of the pantry, leaving nothing for everybody else, which is why Coughenour put up a sign to limit people from taking too many things, and asking them to only take what they need.

Luckily, they had other businesses, neighbors and family to help restock the pantry again in 24 hours, and there are stocked closets to replenish items when they run out.

“It was full, and everything that came in, we piled it up there,” Coughenour said. “So one person came in and cleared the entire thing out except for a bit of rice. It was disgusting, honestly. There were probably over 500 items that were taken.

“The other day I went up and I felt like I was punched in the gut. At the end of the day, we were not going to let one person hurt those in need. We needed that to happen to be able to continue helping others, and we are going forward.”

White Dove Spa co-owner Rachael Jordan said she helps contribute to the pantry and was glad they were able to bounce back from the incident.

“We were so upset about this, and the one door is right by the street, so people don’t feel shame for taking food,” Jordan said. “This is Jami’s heart, and it was so upsetting to see. That woman took everything. Because of our reputation, people care so much and they trust us to fill it, so we are hopeful it will stay this way.”

The owners are also organizing a Thanksgiving food drive.

If families are in need or are looking for food this holiday season, Coughenour urged them to reach out to the coffee shop at 412-999-4006 or Liquidvibescoffee@ gmail.com. Coughenour’s business is a coffee shop on the bottom floor with other women- owned businesses above — including White Dove Spa, Haven Boutique, Andi’s House of Plants and Day of Design Photography.

They also have spaces for people to work and for groups to hold activities in the coffee shop. This includes free grief support classes the second Friday of the month, other free classes, sober events, private events, workshops, a silent book club and events throughout the year.

“It’s cool to have a place now where we can have all the things,” Coughenour said. “We do a lot here, and before we were just a coffee shop. Here we can do so much more for the community. We host a lot of small businesses, we kind of all help each other out and support one another, and we are trying to do that for the rest of the community.”

Upcoming events at The Shoppes are:

• An Old Time Christmas will be throughout the entire building from 2 to 8 p.m. Nov. 18 as a kickoff to the holiday season. There will be vendors, a live nativity, festive food and drinks, small businesses and more.

• A cookie class will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Liquid Vibes. The last day to sign up is Nov. 16 for $55 a person.

• An adopt-an-elf event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 30 where guests can sip on hot chocolate, write letters to Santa and more.