With the holiday rush behind them, the shelves at the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry are still fairly stocked. Joan Haugh, Director of Community Services of Starke County, told WKVI that their abundance of food is due in part to people with the holiday spirit.
“But the good news is that many people have responded. A lot of times instead of buying gifts for one another, they donate to the food pantry and with the Kiwanis Drive and other individuals and agencies and businesses hopping on the bandwagon, we are in really good shape right now,” said Haugh.
However, even with their positive outlook on upcoming months, Haugh says they may be in need of donations come April or May. The pantry serves 250 families a month, year-round, so their reserves can get depleted fairly quickly. In addition, though the shelves are stocked with canned goods and other foods, the pantry is still in need of meat.
Luckily, the organization has received some money from FEMA, which they plan on using to purchase meat for the pantry, and some of the money will also be going towards their energy assistance program as well.
Haugh says that the food pantry would not be able to do what it does without the support of the community, and for the amount of support they’ve received, Haugh is extremely grateful.
“We are very, very thankful for all the people who have donated, whether it was a can or a thousand dollars, we appreciate it,” said Haugh.
