While going through Patchwork’s mail the other day, I found a small, hand-addressed envelope with no return address. Upon opening it, I discovered the thank you card pictured above. The note inside says:
Patchworks,
I came in for food assistance last week and I wanted to thank you for the groceries. It was greatly appreciated and the kindness I was shown.
Thank you again!
The card was unexpected but very kind. It is a good reminder that a few days’ worth of groceries along with kindness and understanding can really make a difference.
While the amount of food our food pantry gives to each family is limited, it does include a wide range of items that will provide breakfasts, lunches, and suppers for a few days and will help folks stretch their limited resources further. Patchwork’s food pantry currently serves around 150-170 individuals every month. Around 90% of the food we give out comes from Tri-State Food Bank and the rest is either donated or we purchase it ourselves from grocery outlets.
Patchwork’s food pantry is one of six that work together to coordinate service across our community. The umbrella organization behind this collaboration is the Evansville Emergency Food Pantry Consortium. People in need of food assistance can get it from one of the six pantries every 30 days.
The six pantries use a shared food list, so no matter which pantry someone visits, they’ll receive the same amount and types of food. The six pantries are located across Evansville and are each open multiple days a week, so there are many options available to help whenever someone finds themselves hungry and in need of help.
The Consortium has been in existence since 1969, and Patchwork’s food pantry has been a member of it since 1982. The Consortium pantries rely heavily on Tri-State Food Bank as the primary source of inexpensive food to stock their pantries.
The system has worked well for decades. However, recent changes in federal funding have eliminated the money that the Consortium used to pay for the food that its member pantries receive from Tri-State Food Bank. The immediate impact for Patchwork is that we’re abruptly needing to pay directly for all of the food that our pantry receives from Tri-State Food Bank. That’s an additional $1000-$1400 per month for us.
We are committed to doing what we need to do so our pantry remains stocked for the people who depend on us, but this is a sizeable new expense. We invite you to make an extra financial contribution to Patchwork toward this expense or to donate extra nonperishable food items from our standard food list (found here on our website).
You can also learn more about the Evansville Emergency Food Pantry Consortium on their website where you can also make a financial contribution toward this important collaboration.
Patchwork’s Food Pantry
