Patchwork’s food pantry has been extra busy lately. Not only that, but we’ve had many larger families stopping in. And more often, someone will add a comment like, “It’s been years since I used a food pantry,” or simply, “I’ve never used a food pantry before. What do I do?”
They are families who were already doing their best just to get by. Now food prices are rising fast. And gas prices. And utility rates. Our food pantry fits into their strategies to stretch every dollar. If they can get several meals’ worth of food from us, then they can reserve more money for other essentials.
Because Patchwork’s pantry is one of six that make up the Evansville Emergency Food Pantry Consortium, people receiving food from us are guaranteed a balanced assortment of food that includes three to four days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Everyone coming to our pantry gets breakfast cereal, crackers, pasta, rice, mac n’ cheese, canned vegetables, pork n’ beans, soup, a meat item, tomato sauce, canned fruit, peanut butter, eggs, and bread. As the size of the family increases, so does the amount of food they receive. And, based on availability, they get as many fresh fruits and vegetables as they can use. A family can receive food every thirty days.
Behind the scenes, it can be a challenge to remain fully stocked with all the items on the food list. Our primary food supplier is the Tri-State Food Bank, which is like a giant warehouse that is connected to a nationwide network of deeply discounted food available to anyone providing food to those in need. But sometimes the Food Bank isn’t able to locate all the items we need. When that happens, Bill Hemminger, our Food Pantry Coordinator, searches local discount food stores for the missing items. In the past year or two, the amount of food we’ve purchased from places other than the Food Bank has increased significantly. We also fill the gaps with food donations from churches, businesses, and individuals.
In the end, we do our best to make sure everyone gets a full range of food when they come to our pantry. We also do our best to be responsive and caring, knowing that the families requesting food are likely to be feeling a range of stress and anxiety that comes from food insecurity.