M I S S ION
HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY DURING A PANDEMIC
B Y LYD I A C H E N E Y, HUNGE R & FOOD INS E CUR ITY COMMIT T EE CHAIR
T
he Hunger and Food Insecurity Sub-Committee is part of the Community Ministries Team. Since March 2020, this smaller group has been addressing food needs in our community. Early in the pandemic, the IPC Food Pantry was forced to close and has not yet reopened. A team member suggested we establish another way to offer food to our neighbors. After some research, we purchased two large, outdoor-friendly cabinets, which we named Blessing Boxes to hold canned and packaged food as well as paper products/hygiene items. They are placed outside near the Community Ministries entry near the IPC storage door on 31st Street. Each week a group of dedicated volunteers, called Pantry Partners, purchases food and hygiene items for both containers. Items go fast, especially paper and hygiene, as food stamps do not cover the cost of most paper and cleaning products necessary for a home. Access to Blessing Boxes is from 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. Staff have observed that the hygiene cabinet
is emptied almost every day. With the exceptions of canned meats, dry milk, snacks, and pop-top fruit items, food items don’t go quite as fast on a regular basis. How many people visit the Blessing Boxes? We do not have a firm count as the cabinets do not have a “counter” mechanism for how many times the doors are opened. What’s the monetary value of the contents of both cabinets? When fully stocked, a recent survey/tally showed the value to be approximately $500. Blessing Box users include individuals, families, and nearby homeless communities. Mrs. S., a woman in her 40's told a volunteer, “I don’t know what I’d do without this. I lost my job in the pandemic and my husband is barely working.” Another homeless man told a staff member, “Your church has kept a group of us alive with your food.” The Pantry Partners are faithful supporters of this effort. Other generous donors have provided funds, both cash gifts and endowed funds. The sub-committee (Lydia Cheney, Susan Dukes, Anna James, Pat Lazarus, Pam McLean, Betsy Middlebrooks,
Melissa Robinett, Liz Saunders, and David Woodruff ) anticipates the need for Blessing Boxes will extend beyond 2021. We thank everyone who has supported this program to make it successful.
IPC Blessing Boxes PLEASE HELP US STOCK SUMMER ESSENTIALS •
Water bottles & Gatorade (individual sizes)
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Canned meats
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Peanut butter
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Jelly
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Fruit cups
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Pop-top canned fruit and soups
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Powdered milk
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Toothbrushes
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Toothpaste
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Deodorant
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Toilet paper
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Paper towels
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Laundry detergent (small)
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Pet food (small bags & cans for dogs and cats)
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Thank you for your extra compassion and quick response! Questions: Contact Lisa Holloway at lholloway@ipc-usa.org or (205) 933-3725 I PC 'S B L E S S I N G B O X E S ON 3 1 S T S TR E E T S OUTH.
