For hundreds of families in Monroe and Carbon Counties, the West End Food Pantry is a major source of sustenance that keeps their cupboards full throughout the week.
Without their services, these people would inevitably struggle, unsure of where their next meal may come from.
It is a vital institution in the community, a fundamental part of the area that keeps our most disadvantaged citizens alive.
But how much do you really know about the Pantry?
This Friday, the Pantry on Kunkletown Road in Kunkletown will open its doors to the community from 6 to 8 p.m. so that everyone can get a peek at its inner workings.
"The pantry will be completely set up and we will show people how we do what we do," director Karena Thek said. "We will have snacks and music, plus the Thrift Store and rest of the Community Center will be open for tours."
During the open house, visitors will get a first-person tour of the facility from the perspective of a client.
"They’ll be taken in groups, we’ll sit someone down and make up an alias, and they’re going to ask them questions like they would for a client," volunteer Melissa Ruschak said. "And then we’re going to take them through the process, stopping at every station."
Feeding what averages out to be over 500 families each week is a daunting task, but the extensive volunteer staff works together like a finely tuned machine to assist every person and family in need. Nearly 200 people dedicate their time to improve the lives of others within the community, and Thek hopes that the open house will shed some light on these missions.
"I want the community to see how hard we work and to see the benefit of having such programs right in their backyard," Thek said. "There are many things we do including our birthday program and giving away bikes for Christmas that nobody really sees."
On top of that, the open house will provide an opportunity for people to get a good look at where their cash and contributions end up, as many are unaware of what happens when they make a donation.
"My volunteers work hard all year long to bring good cheer and hope to Kunkletown," Thek said. "We want to share it with all. Many people donate food or monies but don’t really understand where it goes. I think this is the perfect way to explain what we do."
And hopefully, some visitors might be inspired to offer some of their services for the benefit of the community, as many volunteers have joined the Pantry in such a manner.
Ruschak, who is teacher and Career Apprenticeship director at Pleasant Valley, has been working with the Pantry for just over a year. Ruschak said she was inspired to pitch in when she noticed the need for contributions last Thanksgiving. She decided to spread the word to her students, who eagerly joined the effort. In less than a year, Ruschak and her team of Pleasant Valley students were able to collect thousands of dollars of food during the Tower of Tuna and Mac ‘n’ Cheese Challenge drives.
"It was a good opportunity, I think, to work with kids from the school and educate them about helping and giving back their community. For me, it’s a lot of compassion," she said.
Thek and her team said that they strive to make the Pantry and the rest of the center a hub for the community, where people can feel welcome and appreciated. The key to that is making the environment more inviting - as a choice pantry, shoppers are free to select what items they wish instead of receiving pre-sorted bundles of food.
"They don’t just get a bag of groceries handed to them, they get to shop what we have up on the shelves," volunteer Donna Diehl said.
Diehl and the volunteers say that this makes the place feel more akin to a grocery store, eliminating the sense of shame or humiliation that many people feel when they accept such charity.
"This has been the only pantry that I have come to that I was not embarrassed to go to," volunteer Lauri Steigerwalt said.
The volunteers said that they look forward to establishing new connections throughout the community during the open house. Perhaps some people will discover a new resource to help them out, while others may be inspired to volunteer their own time to help their fellow community members.
"Hopefully, they’ll feel the love that happens here," Diehl said.
