Metro East Sun

Unemployment rates are at an all-time high as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 crisis, but that isn't stopping business owners from helping their communities even with less staff such as a local pub.

Morrison’s Irish Pub, located at 200 State St. in Alton, is one of the businesses that has stepped up to help out, The Telegraph reported in April. The pub is known as being a survivor because of its ability to bounce back in the past after several regional floods devastated Alton. The owners and employees of Morrison’s have decided to put together a small 24-hour food pantry.

Morrison's pantry is a place where residents can take what they need and others can donate food, 24-hours per day.

Mary Morrison, who is the owner of Morison's, said a pub is a public house that is meant to be part of the community.

“It kind of goes back to what a pub is,” Morrison told The Telegraph. “A pub is really a public house and it’s meant to be part of the community. We were looking for a way we could help and my daughter, Katie, came up with this idea.”

Morrison said the pub is just giving back to the community that helped them when they fell on hard times in the past.

“When we’ve fallen on hard times,” Morrison told The Telegraph. “This community has given us so much love and support and we were just looking for a way that we could give back to the community too and help the community out.

”We just painted it yesterday and stocked it, and we had an overwhelming response — mostly from a lot of people who know us and come to the pub wanting to donate, also,” she said The Telegraph.

Morrison says the pantry is stocked with paper products, cleaning supplies and canned goods. Morrison added that donations have been pouring in from all over the state. One resident even offered to bring in homemade face masks.

“We’ve been trying to figure out what people need and stock up,” Morrison told The Telegraph. “This morning I got a phone call from one of our regulars and she asked me if she could bring masks down since she’s been making masks.”

Morrison said that if any residents need anything, "come and get it."

“We are not open and aren’t going to police this in any way, shape or form,” Morrison told The Telegraph. “If you need something, please come get it,” she said. “We’re just hoping we can bring a little love and some things to people who need them.”