Elmwood Food Pantry open house May 4

• Food Pantry

Food Pantry

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ELMWOOD—The Elmwood Food Pantry will have an open house on Wednesday, May 4, from 3 to 7 p.m.

The public is invited to come and see the facility, hear about its services and have refreshments.

The pantry is located at 108 S. Main St. The building is conveniently located in downtown Elmwood and is handicapped accessible. Appreciation is extended to Glen and Dorothy Nelson for the rent-free use of this building.

For about two years, Elmwood had a mobile food pantry. This was held and staffed by volunteers once a month at the Elmwood Auditorium.

On Dec. 1, the pantry was moved to its present location and is open on a permanent basis. Hours are the first Tuesday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the third Tuesday of the month from 3 to 7 p.m.

Volunteers from the Elmwood area staff and manage the Elmwood pantry. It is a branch of the Pierce County Food Pantry and under the direction of the Hunger Prevention Council of Pierce County. It primarily serves the School District of Elmwood.

The Elmwood community has been very generous with their support and contributions to the pantry. The Elmwood School students brought about 1,800 pounds of food to the pantry on the day it moved to the present facility. The Elmwood businesses, churches, organizations and individuals have been wonderful with their food and monetary donations. It has been truly heartwarming to experience their generosity. Pantry officials are dependent on these donations, so are very grateful for this.

Food and monetary donations are always needed and welcomed. Monetary donations are used to purchase food from Second Harvest in St. Paul. They sell food to the pantry for handling charges. Food orders are delivered to the Pierce County Food Pantry and brought to Elmwood by volunteers.

Food is also received from TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program). This is a USDA program administered by the states. The local pantry receives food from this program based on its size. This food comes monthly to the Pierce County Food Pantry.

There are about 15 regular volunteers who order, shelve food and staff the pantries. There are also volunteers from the churches and library who bring donated food to the pantry.

The Elmwood pantry serves about 20 households and 45 individuals per month. These are difficult economic times. Anyone in need of food is encouraged to come to the pantry.

It is the pantry’s mission no one in the School District of Elmwood go to bed hungry. The facility is here to serve the public’s needs.

Tags: lifestyle, food, elmwood