An update on the Monticello Food Pantry

To the Editor,

     The steering committee of the Monticello food pantry would like to give an update of our current status: Our pantry is well stocked with supplies, thanks to the generous ongoing giving from agencies, clubs, churches, and families in this community.

     Several individuals have supplied us with farm-fresh eggs; gardeners have shared their abundance of produce; others have sent monetary donations that allow us to purchase needed supplies and Fareway gift cards for our patrons.

     Helpful volunteers unload deliveries, re-stock shelves, tear down unusable boxes, and wait on our patrons who come on a monthly basis for nonperishable foods, paper and hygiene products, frozen meats and refrigerated foods like milk, cheese, and butter. Each family also receives a Fareway gift card for meats and groceries. We often hear words of gratitude.

     Monetary donations are used to purchase food from the HACAP food bank in Hiawatha. For instance, last month, we purchased over 1,000 pounds of food for less than $190. Food banks get their food from the USDA, Feed America program, and donations. We purchase other items, like laundry detergent, from Fareway at their case price.

     During the holidays, we will follow our tradition of offering half hams and turkey breasts.

     During the pandemic, we adjusted out procedures for the safety of our volunteers and patrons. This has also made the process more organized and efficient. We will continue to follow those procedures. After patrons check in at First Presbyterian Church (nursery room), they receive premade boxes of supplies according to the size of their family plus items they select from our current inventory offerings. While they wait for these items to be gathered by our volunteers, they are able to pick out miscellaneous items from our “free cart” where they can take as much as they can use. Patrons who are home-bound due to quarantine, physical limitations, or lack of transportation are able to have their boxes delivered by volunteers.

     Reminder: We are not allowed to accept home-canned food. But we gratefully accept eggs and garden produce.

     The steering committee welcomes Pastor Frank Shepherd from Peace United Church to our team, as overseer from the Monticello Ministerial Association. We are grateful for the years Pastor Ed Moreano served in that position and wish him well at his new assignment in Iowa City.

Respectfully submitted

from the steering committee:

Pastor Frank Shepherd

Susan Gilchrist

Kevin Schmidt

Marilyn Schneiderman

Anne Strittmatter