POWHATAN – The coordinators and volunteers of the Powhatan Food Pantry love helping people in need in the community each month, but they are looking for more help to do it.
The mission of the food pantry, which is run by the Coalition of Powhatan Churches, is to assist low-income families with the burden of stretching their dollars so they don’t have to make hard decisions like whether to buy medicine or pay an electric bill or eat, said Patsy Goodwyn, director of the Coalition of Powhatan Churches.
The food pantry serves 150 households, or 351 individuals, in Powhatan County. That number has stayed steady since the food pantry opened its new building in May 2016, with some people getting on their feet and not needing the help anymore and new people replacing them.
Coming off of the holiday season, the food pantry had a great end to 2018, with the community showing up and opening their hearts to help others in their community, as they do every year, Goodwyn said.
But with the start of 2019, the pantry is already seeing a decrease in food donation, a lack of individuals or groups wanting to do food drives and having issues making sure all of the volunteer shifts are filled, she said.
“At Christmas and Thanksgiving we get a lot of food, but then it peters off to nothing,” Goodwyn said.
The biggest need now is for organizations to be willing to hold food drives, either now or sometime later in the year, manager Theresa Fields said. It can be as simple as putting out a box with a sign on it asking for donations or requesting people in your office, church or organization donate what they can.
There are a few local organizations that have continuous food drives, such as Essex Bank and Powhatan United Methodist Church, and churches that regularly hold them, she said. But there is still a big need for food drives to keep the food pantry stocked throughout the year.
Currently, some of the most sought after items are canned goods such as canned meat products (chicken or tuna), soups, sloppy Joes, chilis, and stews. Hamburger Helper-style pasta meals can feed a whole family while individual noodle packets or premade and packaged meals (like Hormel singles) can be good for a single elderly person making a meal for one.
Goodwyn and Fields were very reluctant to say they didn’t want something, because all donations are appreciated. But currently, they are overrun with staples such as canned corn and green beans. Instead, they requested canned goods such as beets, black-eyed peas, butter beans, spinach, turnip greens, and collard greens. Also needed are condiments, oils (for cooking) and sugar.
Fields said the food pantry has to supplement the available food with anywhere from $500 to $1,000 each month to keep the shelves stocked. Monetary donations are also needed to make sure that continues to be possible when they get in a pinch.
Produce is also a need, especially in the winter, when local farms aren’t in season, Fields said.
“It is always feast or famine around here. This time of years produce is slim. In the summer we have the farmers come in and boy do they keep us fed,” she said.
Volunteers are also an ongoing need, Fields added. The food pantry is open five times a week and it takes anywhere from 36 to 40 volunteers a week to cover all the positions. Usually they are retirees or church groups. While some shifts aren’t conducive to working people, the food pantry is open for Thursday night and Saturday morning sessions.
“Volunteers come and go. They are very hard to find. Right now we are hanging on but we could always use volunteers. I understand that is everywhere. It is a problem everywhere,” she said.
One thing that always surprises and pleases them is that while needs are constantly popping up, so are solutions, Fields said. Powhatan is blessed to have a community where people care about each other, she added.
“It seems like wherever we have a need here, it is always met some kind of way through donations of food or monetary donations,” she said. “If people believe in God, this is the way to come see it at work. It is amazing. It gives you chills sometimes. I just think to God be the glory. We certainly would not have what we have and be in operation right now if it was not for his grace.”
Monetary donations should be made to the Powhatan Food Pantry and sent to 2500 Batterson Road, Powhatan, VA 23139.
The Powhatan Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays and 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays at 2500 Batterson Road. Contact the pantry at 804-372-9526 or powhatanvafoodpantry@gmail.com.
