A peek at the pantry | Editorials | willistonherald.com - Williston Daily Herald

A peek at the pantry | Editorials | willistonherald.com - Williston Daily Herald

I spent a little more than an hour at the Salvation Army’s food pantry on Monday morning. I was working on the story that’s on page A1 today, which is part of the Herald’s partnership with the Salvation Army to get more food donations. (See our ad on page B2 today to find out about the discounts on subscriptions and classified line ads you can get when you bring in a food donation.)

When I went back to the pantry, I met Lynee Stone and Charlotte Flexhaug, who were getting food ready for patrons. One of the first things I learned about Flexhaug is that she’s nearly 91 — she said she went to a conference recently, and there was only one volunteer older than her — and that she was the region’s volunteer of the year for 2016. I can see why.

She and Stoner faced the daunting task of organizing the seemingly random donations of food into something that makes sense. They have to keep track of expiration dates and an ever-changing stock. And they have to make sure that the shelves the patrons use to pick up food have a variety of options. It’s a massive operation, and made all the more challenging by the increased need for food in the area.

I’ve been to the pantry three times now, and each time, the stock has completely changed. The Salvation Army has already given food to more than 3,000 people this year, which is higher than the number they served in all of 2015. August was an extremely busy month, with nearly 350 people served. But September was busier still, with more than 450 people getting food. Those are staggering number for someplace the size of Williston, or even all of Williams County. 

But Flexhaug, Stoner and the other workers and volunteers I met carry it off with aplomb. They’re fighting a hard battle against low stocks of food, but they don’t seem to let that get to them. There might be more people than ever before who need food, but they’re doing everything they can to serve as many as possible.

It’s surprising to me that the Salvation Army would be the main food pantry in the area. Having more places to support the need seems essential. But until that happens, I’m really glad that it is the people at the Williston Salvation Army who are handling food distribution, because they’re committed to serving as many people as they can.

That’s where you, the reader, come in. Please consider donating to the Salvation Army’s food pantry. You have the opportunity to do real, measurable good for a family in need, and you can even save some money while doing it. Even once our partnership promotion has ended, though, I hope you’ll remember the good the Salvation Army’s food pantry does, as well as how much need there is in the area.