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 With the massive number of people who are now
staying at home, some laid off from their jobs, some seeing
increased food needs because the family is at home for three meals a
day, and some finding that it is just getting harder and harder to
get what is needed with the financial resources they have at hand,
the food pantry is in greater demand than ever.
According to Rick Releford, the co-manager at the pantry, they are
seeing new customers on a regular basis. They are also seeing
returning customers who have not had to utilize the pantry for the
past several months and some even for years.
The demand is there and the pantry is doing all that it can to
provide for everyone who comes to its doors.
When the social distancing rules were put into place, the pantry
took action to protect customers and volunteers by establishing a
drive-thru service for food pick up. Typically customers were
permitted to come into the building and do their own shopping. But,
as many know, the pantry is not a large building and it is filled
with food storage. Releford and those who are responsible for the
pantry, its volunteers and its customers, realized that there was
not going to be a reasonable way to keep everyone six feet apart
while shopping.
The drive-thru was set up so that customers and volunteers did not
have to have contact. Releford explained that the drive-through is a
two stop process. First a customer drives into the parking lot and
registers his or her visit with a volunteer at the first stop.
Then, the customer pulls forward to stop two. There, volunteers
place bags of groceries on the porch and the customer gets out of
his or her vehicle and collects the bags.
Because customers are not shopping for themselves, Releford said
that the pantry has a standardized list of items that go into each
order. He said the food items include fresh vegetables, frozen
meats, dairy items, canned vegetables, bread, pastries, and cereals.
The bags also include personal hygiene items.
Releford said that the volunteers at the pantry are paramount to
keeping things running smoothly and they are all coming in and doing
their part. That is something that Releford appreciates greatly.
“These folks are the lifeline to keep operations moving forward,”
Releford said.
To assure the safety of the volunteers Releford said that the pantry
is providing face masks, gloves, disinfecting wipes and plenty of
soap and water. Social distancing is also highly recommended among
the volunteers.
The pantry does need food and also would appreciate monetary
donations.
The specific needs list includes:
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Canned fruit – in juice not syrup
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Canned vegetables – no salt added or reduced sodium
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Canned soups – reduced sodium
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100% fruit and vegetable juices
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Fruit preserves with no sugar added
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Dried fruits and vegetables with no added sugar or fat
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Low or no sugar instant oatmeal
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Brown rice
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Whole wheat crackers
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Whole grain tortillas
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Pancake mix (just add water types)
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Low sodium crackers
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Low fat crackers
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Wild rice
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Canned light tuna packed in water
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Canned chicken
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Canned salmon
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Soup and chili with meat/beans
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Dried beans and lentils
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Nuts and nut butters no hydrogenated – low sodium
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Chicken broth – no salt added, reduced sodium
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Shelf stable milk or non-dairy alternatives
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Shelf stable soy milk
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Baby Formula
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Low fat/low sodium salad dressings
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Reduced fat or light mayo
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Canola or olive oil
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Whole grain cereal and rolled oats with at least 3 grams of
fiber and less than 30 grams of sugar per serving
While the food pantry accepts all kinds of
non-perishable food items, the list above contains the items that
they need the most. For those of us who want to help and yet have
limited resources ourselves, it is hoped that giving you a list will
enable you to make the best of what you have to offer.
Releford also talked about food safety. He said that
food donations should be brought to the pantry and unloaded at the
garage door on the north side of the building. He said that all
donations are marked with the date when they arrive and are held in
the garage for 72 hours before being placed on the shelves for
distribution.
For anyone who wishes to make a monetary donation, Releford said
those will also be put to good use for purchasing food items that
come into short supply. Anyone who wishes to make a monetary
donation may do so by mail.
The address for the pantry is:
Lincoln Logan Food Pantry
P.O. Box 773
Lincoln IL 62656
For those who are in need of food, pantry hours are every Tuesday
from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
These are also the best times to drop off donations.
On the second Wednesday of each month, a special day is hosted for
senior citizens and those who are physically impaired. Hours on that
Wednesday are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
On Thursday, April 16, President Donald Trump and the Covid Task
Force announced that there are several states that can begin the
long road to “normal” again. The decisions will be left to the
individual state governors as to how soon to transition their states
into the first of three phases. That first phase, when it is reached
is still going to equate to children not in school and adults not
working or at least working from home.
The same day, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that he will
partner Illinois with several other Mid-west states to coordinate a
gradual and safe transition back to normalcy. Pritzker made it clear
that the state is not yet ready to enter phase one, so we can expect
at least a couple more weeks of the stay at home order and perhaps
longer.
Even then, after the first phase starts it will be a while before
our state and our country is back in full swing. The needs of our
community are going to be great and it is people like the wonderful
volunteers at the Lincoln Logan Food Pantry that are serving to help
fill the gaps when paychecks can’t pay bills and keep food on the
table.
The service of the Lincoln Logan Food Pantry is always appreciated,
but now perhaps more than ever. Our people need them, and they need
us. If we have the ability to make even a small donation, it will
not go to waste and it WILL make a difference in the life and
nutritional health of some of our most vulnerable and at risk
friends and neighbors.
[Nila Smith] |
