It’s the season of giving, and food pantries are welcoming gifts.
Local food pantries are in need of donations during the holiday season and throughout the new year. The needs and services provided by local pantries are different and each has something unique to offer.
St. Vincent de Paul operates the largest local food pantry and offers food to anyone in Burlington.
Kayla’s Cupboard provides a discrete service to anyone who makes an appointment. The Community Action Neighborhood Center and the Salvation Army split the city into halves, serving the north and south sides of Division Street, respectively.
There are a few smaller pantries also operating in the city, and one larger center in West Burlington at the West Burlington Christian Church. Other food sources in Burlington include the Parkside Baptist Church and the Zion United Church of Christ.
St. Vincent de Paul
The biggest food pantry in Burlington operates out of the basement of St. John Catholic Church at 700 Division St. They serve between 550 and 600 families a month.
The pantry is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and that also is the best time to drop off donations. If the hours don’t work, donors can call (319) 752-9332 to arrange a time to drop off food items.
The pantry is in need of canned goods, dry foods, pastas, cookies and anything easily preserved. The pantry is unique in they supply people with hygiene products and toiletries, according to volunteer Bill Brune.
Brune meets with newcomers to begin the process of getting them needed food. Many people he meets are living off of disability checks and similar aid programs.
“(A total of) $734 dollars a month,” Brune said. “That’s the number I see day in and day out. It’s just not possible to live on that.”
They ask people about their financial situations, but they don’t do much record keeping. If someone comes in hungry they’re going to give them food, Brune said.
Brune said it’s important to remember there still is a need for donations after the holidays. St. Vincent, along with the other pantries in town, receive an influx of gifts during the holidays, but then drops off.
“We hope that people don’t forget about us in the following winter months,” Brune said. “The need is just as great or greater in the months after Christmas.”
Kayla’s Cupboard
On the smaller side, Kayla’s Cupboard serves about 35 to 50 families per week at its 914 Maple St. location. Those in need have to make an appointment with the operator, Angie Brown, to get food. The result is a pantry that tries to form a bond with its clients.
To donate, their office is open 8 to 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Donors also can drop off items at Dana’s Total Image, which is next door in the same building.
Right now, they need boxes of cereal, Hamburger Helper products, chili ingredients, soups, pastas and canned meats. Families receive bags of groceries and personal hygiene products.
“We get a lot of peanut butter, but not jelly,” Brown said. “Pancake mixes, but not syrup.”
The pantry hosts free cooking classes to help families from spending money at fast food restaurants. They will have more in the upcoming months, and they will be announced on Facebook. Brown said appointments for food can be made by messaging on Facebook or by calling (319) 392-4229.
“We want them to bring our food back to the dinner table, because money runs out really quickly if you’re always going out to eat all the time,” Brown said.
Community Action Neighborhood Center
At 700 Jefferson St., the Neighborhood Center supplies people with ready-to-go boxes of meals and food essentials. They serve about 300 households per month. They accept donations at their center during their working hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This food pantry gets food from the Food Bank of Southern Iowa in Ottumwa, according to pantry operator Deb Heater.
Clients are 200 percent below the poverty level, Heater said.
“A lot of our people have two or three jobs, but not enough in their paychecks to cover everything,” she said. “If someone walks in and they’re hungry, I’m going to feed them.”
They also serve people in surrounding communities, such as Mediapolis. The pantry predominantly serves Burlington residents north of Division Street.
They are in need of cereal, macaroni, canned meat, canned fruit and Hamburger Helper products. They prefer cans with pop tops because some of their clients are homeless and don’t have access to basic kitchen equipment.
Salvation Army
For the south side of town, the Salvation Army serves about 100 families per month from their location at 217 S. Third St.
They serve food and accept donations from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. The break in the middle is when they serve free lunches to about 45 people. They also accept donations at their thrift store location at 232 Columbus Drive.
They need canned meats more than anything, and the rest of their needs fluctuate according to pantry operator Sara Dittner. They switched to a new system about a year ago, so now their clients walk through a pantry-style setup and take the goods they need.
“We can’t operate without donations,” Dittner said. “We’re here completely because people feel compelled to give.”
They service families of all sizes. They ask for information on income, but they won’t turn anyone away.
“All the pantries have the same goal,” Dittner said. “We don’t want anyone going hungry.”
