From left to right: Rex Randall, VASLC Food Pantry, John Duncan, VFW Post 6395, Warren Johnson, VFW Post 6395, and Frank Robinette, Elks Lodge no. 949 stand with cases of food donated by the VFW Post 6395 and Elks Lodge No. 949.
By Jeremy M Laird
Monday, October 28, 2019
Veterans helping Veterans. That’s how U.S. Navy Veteran Warren Johnson described the donation of over $2000 in food to the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Food Pantry.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6395 in Spanish Fork, Utah and Elks Lodge No. 949 in Provo, Utah raised the money, purchased the food, and donated it to the pantry.
“It’s not about getting recognition. It’s about helping Veterans,” said Frank Robinette, U.S. Army Veteran and Elks member.
The two groups don’t plan on stopping with this donation—they will make a similar delivery after Thanksgiving.
“We don’t want them to go without food for the holidays,” Robinette said.
Emily Aikins, the VA Salt Lake food pantry coordinator, echoed those thoughts. “This donation, in particular, means we will not be worrying about keeping the shelves stocked throughout this holiday season. We will be able to offer more, to more Veterans.”
Members of VFW and Elks Lodge unload cases of food the two groups donated to the VASLC food pantry.
The VA Salt Lake City food pantry serves Veterans enrolled in the VA Salt Lake City HCS who have inconsistent access to food. The pantry isn’t meant to be a Veteran’s sole source of nutrition, but it supposed fill in the gaps when needed.
The pantry is open 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays, and from noon to 4:00 pm on Thursdays. It serves anywhere from 5-30 Veterans every time it is open.
“Running the pantry is a team effort and members of our community step-up time and time again to make this possible,” said Aikins. “Everyone who helps is part of our team and every donation makes a difference.”
To donate or for more information on the pantry, call Emily Aikins at 801-582-1565 ext. 5627.
