New USDA Food Boxes for October

Loren Tomlinson helping unload combo boxes.

​ by Maureen McNair
​The combo box program arrives just as our food pantry clientele continues to explode. Last Saturday, we distributed food to 152 heads of household who waited in line while volunteers unloaded the delivery truck. The heads of household have families with a total of about 650 people for whom we provided food for meals for a few days. We received 132 combo boxes and distributed food to a total 152 households. So, one of the things I am working on this week is trying to obtain more boxes of food for October. ​

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It takes at least two strong people and a hydraulic lift to maneuver the combo boxes from inside the refrigerated delivery truck onto the parking lot.

In addition to distributing the combo boxes last Saturday, we also gave away 1,300 pounds of food donated by Starbucks, bags of shelf-stable pantry food to every head of household, and bags of cabbages, apples, and plums. Many of our pantry clients have dogs, so we distribute dog food as it becomes available. Last Saturday, we gave away several hundred pounds of dog food too. It's a bestseller!

During October, the pantry volunteers are going to be monitoring the parking places in our strip mall so our food distribution program does not overwhelm our retail neighbors. Right now, our retail neighbors - the beauty college, a beauty shop, two martial arts studios, an insurance office, and a deli - are open for business. Their clients need access to parking places too.

To help us keep parking places available for food pantry clients and the clients of the other businesses in the strip mall, we are asking our very generous donors to hold off during October and not drop off food or other things at the pantry. We appreciate your generosity! I will run a notice here in The Window when the parking lot use levels off, and we can resume accepting food and donations of other items.

The visionaries who located our satellite campus in Chula Vista picked a community who really benefits from our presence. The food pantry has attracted over 800 heads of household since last December. That is over 800 community members who have walked by the front door of our little church, tucked into the back of a strip mall. I hope we can welcome them inside one day too! Thank you all again for your continuing generosity.

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