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Coronavirus: Free Neighborhood Pantries Pop Up In Orange County

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) — With the coronavirus outbreak putting so many people out of work, neighbors in Orange County are helping each other with free, pay-it-forward pantries.

Grocery store manager Joanne Swartz set one up on the grass near her Huntington Beach apartment complex and called it "Jo's Love Pantry." Her cardboard shelves include everything from books, to chips, baby formula and toilet paper.

"They like the pasta and they like the fresh fruits and vegetables," Swartz said. "Canned goods go really good too."

On the shelves, she wrote, "if you have it to spare, leave it down here."

She's not alone. In Westminster, people are stopping to bring donations to a cart with a sign that says, "if you need one, take one." The cart is set up in front of Vanessa Puskas' home, and she says the most popular items are naturally toilet paper, sanitizing wipes and baby wipes.

Across the country, a record 3.3 million people filed for unemployment last week, and Californians are particularly hard hit because of the size of the travel and entertainment industries in the state.

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