Food pantries get a boost
SHERI RYAN/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS Pictured from left are Carolyn Long, pantry co-coordinator; attorney Gregory Mousseau, chancellor of the bar association; Stanley Haupt, director of Shepherd House; Shirley Radler, secretary; and Ron Long, co-coordinator of the pantry.
The Carbon County Bar Association recently presented a check in the amount of $2,000 to Shepherd House Inc.
Shepherd House operates nine food pantries in the Carbon County area serving hundreds of families in need each month.
In 2014 alone, Shepherd House provided assistance for 13,483 households.
A total of 37,146 individuals, including 19,666 adults, 11,876 children and 5,604 elderly were provided a total of 334,323 meals to help sustain them.
Last year, 1,459 new Carbon County families were added to the list of those in need.
While the food pantries operated under Shepherd House receive federal and state grants to fund the program, donations from individuals, businesses, churches and other organizations play an important role in helping to put food on the table of county residents in need.
"Each month Shepherd Houses does work with whatever funds are available for our use," says Stanley Haupt, director of Shepherd House. "All of the public support does help to fill the gap whenever state and federal grant funds are delayed or not available."
Haupt expects the level of need to be at least the same for 2015.
"But that could change based on the increased need for food, and the unknown funding levels for the period," said Haupt.
In addition to monetary donations, the pantries also accept canned or boxed items including, but not limited to: pasta, spaghetti sauce, potatoes, crackers, fruit, cake mixes, applesauce, cookies, green beans, corn, peas, pork and beans, soup, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, Spam, tuna and cereal.
