Sally Naysmith decided to add something next to her Ponay’s store in Wellsville last year – a food pantry.

“I think it was important,” the Wellsville resident said. “It shows a caring type of thing, trying to get people to think more about their neighbors.”

So Naysmith got one of her colleagues, Jesse Hoppins, to build a custom-made food pantry and make it look like a tree. It’s called the Share Tree.

“He used his artistic talents to build it the way he did and he called it the Share Tree,” Naysmith said. “I thought that was kind of cool.”

The Share Tree is located on the left of Ponay’s, which is at 217 W. Hudson. Wellsville area residents have stored dry goods, canned goods, personal care items and household items at the food pantry.

“I don’t believe in handouts and supporting people,” Naysmith said. “I believe in hand up, something that will get them on their feet and get going, get their life in the right direction, try to give them something positive and make them feel like they’re important. If people care enough to put some food out there for them, that’s great.”

Naysmith said when the Share Tree was first built, she would fill it with items from the Farmers to Families boxes that Reach Community Church in Montgomery City were giving away in 2020.

“Reach Church was doing Farmers to Families boxes and you can go pick up as many as you want,” Naysmith said. “I was going to get boxes for people who couldn’t go. Then, I added a little bit and I put a refrigerator next door. I let people go in there and get milk and stuff.”

The Share Tree is one of three custom-made food pantries in Montgomery County. The others are the Blessing Barn next to Jonesburg City Hall and the Sharing Shack next to Montgomery City Christian Church.

“I always take a picture of it and say it’s next to Ponay’s on Facebook,” Naysmith said. “I post the pictures to get them out there, and then I get responses. People will start coming and get what they need.”

The Sharing Shack inspired Naysmith to build the Share Tree next to her store. She showed the picture of the Sharing Shack to Hoppins.

“More than likely, I saw it on Facebook,” Naysmith said. “I said, ‘We need one of these in Wellsville. Can you build it?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’”

A native of North St. Louis County, Naysmith has been living in Wellsville since 2005. She has owned Ponay’s — which is a resale shop — for three years.

“I love Wellsville,” Naysmith said. “It’s a neat little town. There are a lot of good people. I like the quietness and I like the size of it.”