MT. VERNON — The need for food assistance continues to grow in Jefferson County especially during the holidays, said Ann Bothe, executive director of Angels on Assignment.
Angels on Assignment is a First United Methodist Church ministry that provides rent, food and utility assistance to those in need. Its food pantry at 1201 Broadway is open from 9 to 11 a.m. every Friday.
This month, 406 people visited the pantry to stock up on food for their families. This is up from December 2015 when 341 people came through the line at the pantry, Bothe said. Clients can only come to the pantry once every four weeks as per U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations.
“I've gotten a lot more requests for food during the week,” Bothe said. “We try to help them out when that happens.”
Bothe added the pantry serves mostly families. Individuals getting food for themselves is more rare, she said.
The need is particularly great during the holiday season when families buy Christmas presents and heating costs are higher, Bothe said.
“(If) you can give them food, they've got something to eat, they can spend money on keeping warm,” Bothe said.
Bothe said the pantry is seeking donations of non-perishable food like cereals and pasta, along with meat. The pantry pays about $2,000 a month to get food from a food bank. The money mostly comes from donations and what the Angels on Assignment Thrift Shop sells.
The His Hands Ministries LLC food pantry has also experienced an increase in clients, said Director Crystal Atkins. She attributes the rise to economic factors like fewer food stamps being allotted to families, as well as higher real estate taxes, water bills, and medication costs.
The pantry is open on Mondays and Fridays at 1611 S. 10th St.
“It does go up around this time of year (and) it has been gradually going up since last year,” Atkins said of the need. “It's going up more in the senior citizens area. We're seeing more seniors.”
Park Avenue Baptist Church runs a food pantry at 1100 Partridge Place that is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It serves between 3,000 and 3,500 people a month, a total that has remained steady over the last few years, said Carol Hogue, the pantry's assistant director.
Still, the pantry does see an upswing in clients during the holidays when the pantry gives out hams for Christmas dinner, Hogue said.
“Everybody needs a little extra for company and for family for the holidays,” Hogue said.
The pantry, she added, serves a wide variety of people, including families, individuals, seniors on fixed incomes, and the homeless.
Central Christian Church has a monthly food pantry and is always in need of non-perishable food items, said Office Manager Linda Ryan.
“We're pretty much congregation funded,” Ryan said.
The pantry has a list of needy residents that it provides food for and does not accept walk-ins. To find out if you may qualify to receive food from that pantry, contact Central Christian Church at 242-4185.
For more information on other local pantries, contact Angels on Assignment at 242-1108 and the Park Avenue Baptist Church pantry at 242-5068.
