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Helping the Hungry
Issue: 2020/06 - June | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography
The pandemic has brought the mission of the Food Pantry of Highlands into sharp focus and added a sense of urgency to its efforts to feed local families.
“The Food Pantry is doing a steady 75 families every Monday and we’ve seen a number of new younger people reaching out for assistance due to the high level of unemployment,” said Pantry Director Marty Rosenfield. “We’ve gone to a curbside delivery of a box of food weighing in at 40 pounds, plus fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and frozen protein, topping out around 60 pounds per family per week. And we’re also giving out pet food for those households with cats and dogs.”
Of course, feeding those in need has been the pantry’s mission for the last 15 years, and its smooth operation has won statewide recognition, but it’s feeling the strain of so many new clients.
“We are burning through groceries because a box program is very inefficient as you are giving people items they may not eat. When a client shops “client serve, “as we all do in a grocery store, they only choose what they will eat … unfortunately, we can’t do that right now. With a great network of volunteers, we have kept up with the sorting, stocking and packing required to execute our mission.
“Monetary donations are welcome. The need is great and contributions are appreciated always, but especially now as we are spending about three times the norm. We’ve seen not only the food supply chain tightening up and products becoming scarce, but we are seeing inflation driving up the costs. Everyone sees how little $100 buys at the grocery store these days. With the arrival of warm weather, we’re trying to supplement our produce needs by growing some of our own and reaching out to others for excess production.”
For information on how you can help, or if you need assistance, call (828) 421-1789, email [email protected] or visit internationalfriendshipcenter.org.
The Food Pantry of Highlands is located on Spring Street in the back of Highlands United Methodist Church. Curbside deliveries are available from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M. on Mondays.
“All are welcome, and for now there’s no paperwork,” says Rosenfield. “Line up in your car and plan on the line moving fast, picking up at curbside.”
