Applause for local pantry
Applause for local pantry
When a family member is laid off or something unexpected happens, pennies must be pinched. But in San Benito County, where more than 25 percent of residents are below the poverty line, sometimes a little frugalness doesn’t always go the distance.
But there is one agency in town that is a constant presence for people who need help. Community Pantry provides food to families and nonprofit agencies that serve the poor throughout San Benito.
Mary Anne Hughes, the executive director of the Pantry, and the board of directors started a search for a new building nearly a year ago. Their first choice, a location close to downtown, became unfeasible after it was discovered that the building did not have a sewer hook up.
Hughes put out a call to the community to help in the search and not only did the pantry find a new locale, but a generous donor offered to pay the first year’s rent on the facility to allow the pantry some time to work out a budget.
Community Pantry officially opened its door with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. But even before that ribbon cutting, the produce, bread and other goods collected at the pantry had already found their way into more than 1,000 hands a week.
The new location, which is close to a bus route and the county’s Health and Human Services Department, has nearly twice the square footage of the old building. The pantry can store more food – and later this year when it receives a donation of new cold storage bins even more fresh produce can be accommodated. And more food means more people can stop by for a couple bags of groceries a week. Before the move, the pantry served only 8 percent of SBC residents.
One of the greatest things about the pantry – in addition to keeping empty bellies full in the county – is that it provides a sense of pride to those served. Families that join the pantry volunteer so many hours a week for each bag of food they take home. For some, who have lost a spouse or a job, helping others returns a sense of confidence they lost along the way.
Hughes put out a call to the community, nonprofits and government agencies to reach out to that missing 17 percent who could surely use the help of Community Pantry. And we challenge more people to stop by, visit the facility and bring a few donations along with them. After all, a lot more community support will be needed as the Pantry continues to grow.
