ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg resident is helping families and their pets with free dog and cat food.

Mark James started the pantry, Hank’s Bark Box, in 2021.

On a given day, you can find James in his garage building guitars.

“I’m cutting the slots of the grooves for the strings to rest on,” he said.

He says working with his hands is calming. It’s a hobby that turned into a full-time job after retiring from his career as an environmental health and safety professional in 2016.

“It is very therapeutic; it’s something to be said, taking something destined for the landfill and making it become something into music,” he said.

But he also makes other things out of wood. One creation close to his heart was building the free dog food pantry, Hank’s Bark Box.

“Trying to prevent people from surrendering their animals. Times have gotten so hard; things are so expensive,” he said.

It’s in honor of his dog Hank, who passed away in 2021 due to cancer. It was a bond he says he can’t describe.

“I don’t know how many dogs I’ve had in my lifetime, but for whatever reason, he struck a chord. He didn’t have a long life, but a fun life,” he said.

The box is open 24/7, and over the past two years, he’s gone through 27 tons of dog and cat food.

“If we refill it 2 to 6 times a day, it’s over 125 pounds of food each time each day,” he said.

Most of it comes from donations that are desperately needed during the holidays, since it’s the busiest time for the box.

“I was dumbfounded by the need. I knew there were people out there that needed help; I just didn’t know to what level they needed help,” he said.

He’s honoring his best bud while helping families and their best friends.

He has already inspired other people to create Bark Boxes of their own in the community.

Donations can be made at 6511 3rd Ave. S. in St. Pete.