MADISON COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA) experienced a drop in donations.
Judy Butler, a volunteer for the pantry, said they saw fewer donations come in after the holiday season.
"After the holidays, everything just kind of falls off, but the families don't fall off," said Butler.
Butler said this can impact the families they help.
"We still have all the families that we always have, but we don't have as much food," said Butler.
She said the pantry helps 223 families in Madison County. This is the only pantry that helps them in the county.
Butler also said they provide hygiene products to these families, but hasn't seen these items donated often.
Robin Corum, another volunteer at the pantry, said a recent donation by a local church has helped them restock some of their shelves.
"They bring anywhere from 800-1,000 pounds of food each time they come," said Corum.
With this donation, Corum and Butler said they will go through these supplies within a week.
Butler said when they have a full pantry, they can give these families all the items on their grocery list.
"When our shelves our full, we can pretty much fulfill their order," said Butler. "When the shelves are low, we just don't have it to give to them."
With donations at a low point, Corum said they will still help anyone who needs it.
"I feel like there's still a lot of people that need help that are probably too shy or embarrassed to come in," said Corum. "We like to let them know that we are here to help."
The food pantry holds up to 7,500 pounds of food.
The food pantry is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
If you would like to donate food or volunteer, you can visit the MESA location in Madison County.
If you would like to learn more about the organization, you can visit the link in our Related Links tab.
