CRESCENT, Iowa – The shelves at the Crescent Food Pantry are packed.
A donation of 12,930 items of food, weighing in at around four tons, from WoodmenLife means a number of families in the metro area will have a consistent source of food through the winter.
“A huge blessing,” pantry owner Tammy Meyer said Friday afternoon as Woodmen officials presented the pantry with a check for $2,250. “This will keep us going through the holidays and even longer.”
“A tremendous blessing,” Meyer adding, repeating a word she’d say a few more times while talking about the donation.
Meyer works as an underwriter for Woodmen. She opened the pantry in December of 2014 and works her full-time job from an office set up in the back. The first few months Meyer had one man stop by for goods, and today about 60 to 70 families frequent the pantry each month.
“It just keeps growing,” Meyer said with a smile on her face.
The pantry serves the metro area, with residents in Crescent, Carter Lake, Council Bluffs, Missouri Valley, Pisgah and Oakland among those who have stopped in.
“The people are humble; they’re thankful,” Meyer said.
Clients of the pantry can stop by once per month to stock up on about a week’s worth of food. After a brief screening process, visitors are able to pick out food.
“They pick out the stuff they like,” Meyer said. “We want them to get food they’ll eat.”
Meyer said the food bank is there to help support men and women who are unemployed, underemployed or ill, a supplement to income and food stamps. She credited her volunteers for making sure the operation runs smoothly.
The Woodmen donation came in late September after the company hosted a “Every Can Counts” food drive. Employees on each floor of the WoodmenLife Tower in Omaha collected food in a competition to see who could gather the most. The 23rd floor, which has 37 people, won with an average of 79 items per associate – adding up to 8,000 pounds – according to the company.
“It’s our members and associates that identify needs in the community,” said Bruce Moritz, director of fraternal outreach for Woodmen . “A great community leader like Tammy, she built this from the ground up.”
Woodmen Executive Vice President, Fraternal Pat Dees said the company is proud of Meyer, “and the way she is making a positive impact in her community.”
The Crescent Food Pantry is open from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
