ATHENS, Vt. – For Krista Gay and her husband, Christian Rogerson, what initially started out as just a neighborly gesture at the end of their driveway, and a subsequent TikTok video that went viral literally overnight, turned into a now full-fledged community pantry dubbed the Athens Food Shelf.
Going back to October 2025, after hearing reports that the federal government was considering cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Gay and Rogerson felt concern and the need to somehow help neighbors less fortunate than themselves.
After seeing various videos on social media showing people offering small food pantries at the end of their driveways, Gay and Rogerson put their own plan into action by placing two large, clear-plastic storage bins at the end of their driveway, after gathering some extra items from their own pantry.
After posting a TikTok video to make their roughly 300 community followers aware of the offer, much to their surprise they woke up the next day to find that their video had gone viral, with nearly 1 million views. Of course, this changed everything moving forward – for the better.
As the word began to spread and as winter approached, a shed was built for this new and growing community pantry, and contributions began arriving on a daily basis, sometimes up to 50 packages a day. Both the local and national media started picking up on the story, and the Athens Food Shelf was featured in People Magazine, NBC News, several local publications, and was even recognized by Vermont Sen. Peter Welch.
Then, when Gay began posting daily videos showing the pantry being restocked and sharing positive messages from the families being happily assisted, suddenly people from all over the country were asking what they could send to help the cause. Before long, they were receiving hundreds of packages and, in fact, multiple FedEx trucks would show up at once. The local post office also began sending a special truck delivery to the pantry during the winter months.
Fast-forward to the present, and despite now receiving donations from around the world, Gay and Rogerson still contribute money out of their own pockets each week in order to keep the food shelf adequately stocked, especially during the winter months.
The success of the Athens Food Shelf has even inspired folks beyond the Green Mountain State, as people from as far away as Ohio and Arizona have reached out to Gay after having seen some of her videos.
The main point Gay always tries to convey is how easy it really is to establish a self-serve food self. Now, with the Athens Food Shelf attracting more than 100,000 followers across its various social media platforms, the couple’s actions are speaking volumes.