January 2, 2024

Happy New Year! Haven't updated our newsletter since last year! Our pantry was filled with fourteen eager "Inventory Volunteers" on Day TWO of 2024. Thanks to pantry coffee and a box of Ava's scrumptious doughnuts inventory was completed in record time. With pen, paper, and scale on hand every bar of soap to bag of chips was weighed, recorded, and available for our neighbors this past Saturday. Appreciate the prep work of our Kim's with data bases, numbered shelves, and logistics all sorted out for efficient information gathering.

Last week a crew of volunteers helped transport a bulk food order to the pantry. As mentioned earlier in a newsletter, our volunteers are unable to pick up weekly food allotments with number of neighbors shopping on Saturday morning. A shout out to Doug for coordinating the group to transport a trailer of food items to our pantry!

Last Friday was a "cool" morning to harvest over 100 heads of romaine lettuce. Our early bird crew finished in about thirty minutes. Neighbors enjoy the fresh lettuce and to top it off,  (no pun intended) were offered a  jar of salad dressing. This Friday there is the opportunity to harvest one row of purple leaf lettuce  at 8:30. Hope you can join us.

As our neighbors waited in the gathering room, Chef Martha offered a bowl of pinto beans cooked with a hamhock to welcome in  the new year. 115 households representing 390 individuals and six new families shopped in a well-stocked pantry after a delivery from Manna on Tuesday.

Donations this week included Bimbos, and City Bakery with bread and bakery items. Bright Farms donated 25 cases of salad. Other donors included Flavor-First-tomatoes, jalapeños, and peppers; Wal-Mart and Big Lots-misc items and food; Project Dignity-feminine products, Humane Society- dog/cat food and MilkCo-milk.  Calvary Episcopal, Nativity Lutheran, Fletcher UMC, the Tabernacle of Praise Churches, and other anonymous donors contributed their time, food, and misc. items during the week.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, thank you to our volunteers and our area churches, civic groups, local merchants, and families for all you do to feed our community helping to reduce food insecurity. We thank you and appreciate your food and monetary donations.