FOOD PANTRY UPDATE ON AUGUST 31, 2020
Please keep all the food pantry volunteers and their families in your prayers. Please remember Jackie Wynter in your prayers. Jackie volunteered at the food pantry for several years and recently died.
This past week the food pantry was used by 133 families and the previous week by 131 families. Our numbers have gone down considerably in August. I don't know if this is a trend or will change in September. I like to say "God only knows and he's not telling". The food pantry was used as follows:
August 586
July 841 July had 5 Thursdays; take out the lowest week for a total of 686
June 697
May 797
September Schedule
September 3 1 truck plus CEDA plus CFAP
September 10 2 trucks plus CFAP
September 17 1 truck plus CEDA plus CFAP
September 24 2 trucks plus CFAP
CFAP deliveries - September starts a new schedule for the CFAP deliveries. For the past few months we've been receiving 144 cases of meat, 75 cases of dairy and 40 cases of milk each week. I've been notified that we will receive the cases of meat and the cases of dairy for the next 2 weeks. As of today, we will not receive the cases of milk. However each dairy case contains 2 gallons of milk, so we will have that to distribute
I haven't heard anything from Jewel regarding the holiday dinners. We are on the list to receive some from the Food Depository. As soon as I receive information, I will share it.
Indoor Registrations - A set of guidelines has been put together using suggestions from several volunteers who know the process for when we start doing the registrations on the computer in the church hospitality room. They will be in English and Spanish. Attached to them will be an information sheet that we are requesting new (after March 1) users to complete and bring with them in October. These will be passed out to all food pantry users in September.
The chances of the sheet being completed are slim, nil or none so we will be passing them out in October as people wait in line. I intend to buy about 6 clipboards to put them on so they can be filled out while people are in line.
There will be a food collection at the church for the food pantry on Saturday, September 19. Since there is still a very limited number of people attending the weekend masses, it has proven to be successful having them on a Saturday. It will be advertised with a list of needed items such as peanut butter, canned veggies, mac and cheese, tuna, pasta, tomato or pasta sauce, toilet paper and Dollar Tree detergent.
Thank you for all that you do 👼
LaVerne Horgan
*******************************************************************************************************
A message from our Food Pantry Director, LaVerne Horgan:
Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.
I thought that once August started, I wouldn't have to continue with the weekly updates and do them twice a month or just monthly like I did in the past. However there always seems to be something that I feel should be shared as things happen and not wait until the end of the month.
The food pantry was used by 157 families yesterday with 646 individuals and 227 of them were children.
CFAP food boxes - the funding for this program is set up in 4 phases. After each phase the Food Depository evaluates the quantity and type of food that is available in our area. Phase 2 will be over August 31. Currently each week we receive milk, meat and dairy. I will be notified sometime next week as to what our new allocation will be for Phase 3 (September 1 - October 31). It will probably be based on our current usage and what we are getting now. I will have the ability to alter it a little but not too much.
Voter Engagement/Registration Program - as I mentioned last week, this is going to be a focal point for the Food Depository. I participated in a zoom call this afternoon where they gave us some information on the projected plans for this project. The motto of the campaign will be "Your Vote Matters". They plan to give each food pantry postcards stressing the importance of making sure people are registered and that they vote.
There are some restrictions for food pantries like us who distribute USDA food. We are not allowed to talk with the families until after they receive their food. This is to prevent them from feeling that they won't get food if they don't take the postcard or listen to anyone.
I sent an email to the contact we were given and explained our situation with the drive through distribution. I gave a few examples of how we would like to handle the process and if we are allowed to ask them if they are already registered to vote. She responded that she is sharing my email with her colleagues to help answer my questions. I will let you know what I find out in next week's update.
Thank you for all that you do.👼
Please keep all the food pantry volunteers and their families in your prayers. Please remember Jackie Wynter in your prayers. Jackie volunteered at the food pantry for several years and recently died.
This past week the food pantry was used by 133 families and the previous week by 131 families. Our numbers have gone down considerably in August. I don't know if this is a trend or will change in September. I like to say "God only knows and he's not telling". The food pantry was used as follows:
August 586
July 841 July had 5 Thursdays; take out the lowest week for a total of 686
June 697
May 797
September Schedule
September 3 1 truck plus CEDA plus CFAP
September 10 2 trucks plus CFAP
September 17 1 truck plus CEDA plus CFAP
September 24 2 trucks plus CFAP
CFAP deliveries - September starts a new schedule for the CFAP deliveries. For the past few months we've been receiving 144 cases of meat, 75 cases of dairy and 40 cases of milk each week. I've been notified that we will receive the cases of meat and the cases of dairy for the next 2 weeks. As of today, we will not receive the cases of milk. However each dairy case contains 2 gallons of milk, so we will have that to distribute
I haven't heard anything from Jewel regarding the holiday dinners. We are on the list to receive some from the Food Depository. As soon as I receive information, I will share it.
Indoor Registrations - A set of guidelines has been put together using suggestions from several volunteers who know the process for when we start doing the registrations on the computer in the church hospitality room. They will be in English and Spanish. Attached to them will be an information sheet that we are requesting new (after March 1) users to complete and bring with them in October. These will be passed out to all food pantry users in September.
The chances of the sheet being completed are slim, nil or none so we will be passing them out in October as people wait in line. I intend to buy about 6 clipboards to put them on so they can be filled out while people are in line.
There will be a food collection at the church for the food pantry on Saturday, September 19. Since there is still a very limited number of people attending the weekend masses, it has proven to be successful having them on a Saturday. It will be advertised with a list of needed items such as peanut butter, canned veggies, mac and cheese, tuna, pasta, tomato or pasta sauce, toilet paper and Dollar Tree detergent.
Thank you for all that you do 👼
LaVerne Horgan
*******************************************************************************************************
A message from our Food Pantry Director, LaVerne Horgan:
Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.
I thought that once August started, I wouldn't have to continue with the weekly updates and do them twice a month or just monthly like I did in the past. However there always seems to be something that I feel should be shared as things happen and not wait until the end of the month.
The food pantry was used by 157 families yesterday with 646 individuals and 227 of them were children.
CFAP food boxes - the funding for this program is set up in 4 phases. After each phase the Food Depository evaluates the quantity and type of food that is available in our area. Phase 2 will be over August 31. Currently each week we receive milk, meat and dairy. I will be notified sometime next week as to what our new allocation will be for Phase 3 (September 1 - October 31). It will probably be based on our current usage and what we are getting now. I will have the ability to alter it a little but not too much.
Voter Engagement/Registration Program - as I mentioned last week, this is going to be a focal point for the Food Depository. I participated in a zoom call this afternoon where they gave us some information on the projected plans for this project. The motto of the campaign will be "Your Vote Matters". They plan to give each food pantry postcards stressing the importance of making sure people are registered and that they vote.
There are some restrictions for food pantries like us who distribute USDA food. We are not allowed to talk with the families until after they receive their food. This is to prevent them from feeling that they won't get food if they don't take the postcard or listen to anyone.
I sent an email to the contact we were given and explained our situation with the drive through distribution. I gave a few examples of how we would like to handle the process and if we are allowed to ask them if they are already registered to vote. She responded that she is sharing my email with her colleagues to help answer my questions. I will let you know what I find out in next week's update.
Thank you for all that you do.👼
