Local Food Pantry Needs Donations

Anyone who is up on the latest news knows what poor shape the United States’ economy is in. Tough times have hit just about everyone to some degree. The economic downturn has also hit organizations that aim to help others, like the New Hope Food Pantry, which is affiliated with the .

“We used to help between 20 and 30 families,” said Adele Wildermuth, who, along with her husband Jim, has been the food pantry’s manager since January. “But in the last 12-18 months, with the economy the way it’s been, we are up to 50-60 families.”

The pantry distributes food twice a month. Each family gets two bags of groceries, including fruits and vegetables, spaghetti, peanut butter, jelly and other canned goods. In addition, the families have the opportunity to “shop” from whatever other items the pantry has available.

“We get donations of other things like clothing, or baby items that families can take from if they need to,” Wildermuth said.

She said that when people come in for food, volunteers chat with them for a while and find out their stories. That’s how they can match up what people need with what is coming in.

“We will often have new mothers come in, and we’ll tell them in advance if we know baby items are being donated,” she said.

However, with the increase in families in need of services, even the donations the pantry receives have not been enough.

“We get regular donations from groups in town like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts,” Wildermuth said. “We get money each year from the Junior Woman’s Club from funds they’ve received from the Wrobo Run. The Curves on Route 15 is doing a drive for us right now. And we have families from the church that just buy food along with their own groceries and donate it to us. We’ve run into extremely generous people.

“But it still isn’t enough,” she added. “That’s why we’re doing more community outreach.”

The items the pantry is most in need of include spaghetti sauce, pasta, cereal, side dishes, tuna, meat meals, canned fruit, soup, peanut butter, jelly, beans, canned vegetables and toilet paper. Wildermuth said families also appreciate when they can receive toiletries, coffee, condiments, sugar and flour.

To get involved or make a donation, contact wildermuth1@optonline.net.