SERVICE
Grateful Bread Food Pantry
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One of CAP’s earliest thrift stores, “The Attic”
much so, in fact, that there are a handful of people who come in every single day. Lindsey says she will ask, “Are you going to buy anything today?” And they’ll say, “Nope, just came in to visit!” Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) has always had thrift stores available to the public, but it was not until 2008 that the current store received the permanent moniker, “Grateful Threadz.” Prior to Grateful Threadz, CAP’s thrift stores were always referred to as “The Attic of [insert name of town].” When Reverend Beiting established the first thrift store, his focus was not any different than today – he made sure to build relationships with every person who walked through the front door. The experiences and stories of each customer were unique, and Reverend Beiting treated them as such. This is something that is still practiced today. Lindsey is overflowing with the stories of customers and participants whom she has served at the thrift store over the years. One such story is that of Mary, who had just learned that a very close family member passed away. She went to Grateful Threadz, was greeted by a smiling face, and explained through tears that she did not have anything to wear to the funeral. After a few moments of consoling and comforting, the staff members went on the search for something that would be perfect. Mary found a dress donated by the Sassy Fox, an upscale consignment shop in Lexington, KY, that still had the $150.00 price tag attached; Grateful Threadz had it priced for $3.00. Mary was elated that she was able to afford something that was so nice. This relieved a lot of the stress that she had been feeling in the midst of her loss. And then there is the story of Alex, a student who was about to experience high school for the first time. She made her way into Grateful Threadz with her father for back-toschool shopping and immediately found a few items that she loved. Money is very tight is Alex’s family, so her father
AP’s food pantry first started out as a closet full of food, much like one you would find in someone’s home. This was intended to provide food for people in need, but it was not enough. Today, the Grateful Bread food pantry has grown to serve as a food source for many in Mt. Vernon, KY. In fact, the Grateful Bread serves over 800 families a month, which represents a service to around 2,000 individuals each month. Grateful Bread provides supplemental food to each eligible family once a month. Families are often referred to the program through churches and schools, and if additional services are needed for those families, the staff of Grateful Bread will direct them to the specific program. The monthly distribution of the state’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is managed by the staff and available for the senior citizens in the county who are enrolled in that program. The Grateful Bread food pantry survives on food drives and donations from local businesses and corporate partners, in addition to donations from God’s Food Pantry of Lexington. Apart from that, there are organizations in Louisville, KY and in Ohio that also hold food drives to support CAP’s food pantry. Monetary gifts given to CAP allow the program to purchase food from local food suppliers like Save-A-Lot. Another program available at Grateful Bread is known as the Backpack Club and it is coordinated in partnership with the local school system. When schools identify students considered at-risk for hunger or food insecure, the staff at Grateful Bread organizes bags to send home with the children. If a child has parents who work during the weekend or for some other reason are unavailable or unable to provide weekend meals, the bags assembled by the staff at Grateful Bread ensure that the child will receive three dinners, two breakfasts, and two lunches. For further information on how to support Grateful Bread food pantry, please call 866.270.4CAP (4227). You can also send monetary gifts or canned goods, or, if you want to get creative, you can host an event (such as a holiday breakfast or spaghetti dinner) and then donate the proceeds!
CHRISTIANAPP.ORG | 50th Anniversary Commemorative Issue Volume 1
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