| |
To volunteer or make a donation,
call 570-885-6204.
|
The Pastor's Food Pantry
The Pastor's Pantry at the former Ruggles United
Methodist Church on Route 29 in Noxen provides food to local families in need of a helping
hand.
The effort is part of
the community development corporation.
The pantry was originally located in the United Methodist Church when Rev. Keith Benjamin was
pastor.
When the food pantry was
started, there weren’t enough volunteers to keep a regular schedule and
the ministers donated the food whenever someone came to the parsonage or
if they saw someone who needed help.
Pearl Race took over the
handling of the food pantry in September 2007, taking the mission project
of the Pastor's Food Pantry and running with it.
Things began with only a small supply of food.
Pearl began making phone calls to find out how to get bulk food for
a decent price, contacting local churches, local businesses like Curves,
and anyone who could help get the shelves stocked.
Other community members who
helped bring food donations to the pantry include members of St. Luke's
Lutheran Church, the Free Methodist Church and Maple
Grove, as well as youth groups like Cub
Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownies, and
Girl Scouts.
In 2015, the Pastor's Pantry
moved to the former Ruggles United Methodist church. Currently, the pantry serves
nearly 65 families a week.
The pantry is open from 9 to 12 on
Wednesday mornings. People meeting all of the recipient
guidelines can select things off the shelves and pack their own bags.
The pantry has a few volunteers but can always use more. The
food pantry is a reality thanks to those volunteers and the generous
donors who keep the shelves well-stocked.
There
are individual donors who drop off food at the pantry on a monthly
basis, and area churches have food drives frequently.
To volunteer or make a donation,
call 570-885-6204. |
