Visiting a food pantry can be a vulnerable experience; asking for help isn't always easy. But a pantry staffed with caring, welcoming individuals can make all the difference. Twin City Christian Food Pantry in Uhrichsville is one such place. Run entirely by volunteers, it serves the community with compassion.
The pantry's nearly 70 volunteers include retirees, students and people driven by their own experiences with hardship.
Meet Carl, the current food coordinator for the pantry. Carl had a heart attack 15 years ago. He could no longer work a manual labor job like he had most of his life.
“What do I do now?” Carl thought to himself as he tried to imagine his next step in life.
He struggled mentally with the loss of his job and not being able to provide financially for his family. Thankfully, the food pantry was there for him when he needed it.
Several years later, Carl discovered that the pantry was on the brink of closing because a long-time volunteer was retiring. Carl. decided to step up and take on the full-time volunteer role to keep the pantry afloat.
“I enjoy volunteering for the food pantry,” Carl says with a smile. “You get to know the people who visit. You get to know the kids. You get to know their stories.”
The food pantry now serves 1,400 people each month, including hundreds of older adults, many attempting to live on a fixed income, and families with young children.
Thanks to the help of the food pantry, families like Lynsey's have access to nourishing groceries. Lynsey and her husband are raising four growing children. And though her husband works, it is not enough to support their family of six.