Bristol food pantry relying on donations to stay afloat

June 27, 2011|By Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

BRISTOL — By the end of this week, shelves at Bristol Community Food Pantry will be empty. An increase in demand has caused food to go out much quicker than normal, and funding for food purchases to dry up.

For the first time since the pantry's opening in 2006, more clients are picking up food more than ever before, but donations are not offsetting demand.

Bristol's pantry organizers have started a campaign to see if people would be willing to donate $1 to turn the situation around.

“What would happen if we didn’t have any food?” asked Brenda Spence, pantry director.

“It’s just unbelievable, new applicants, people that have never had to askfor food before, plus I have had numerous people who had been working now got laid off, or things just got real tight,” said Spence.

Jennifer Kennedy, mother of three, helps make ends meet by coming here once a month.

“My husband is the only one working, we do get food stamps, but towards the end of the months, especially food stamps tend to run out,” said Kennedy.

Food provided through Bristol Community Food Pantry helps feed more than 200 people a month.

“They’re old people, they’re young people, they’re people that got into an accident or got sick, and it takes a while for food stamps to kick in, or they make $5 too much to get food stamps or they get $12 in food stamps and they just can’t make it,” said Spence.

Her hope is local groups, organizations and good neighbors can help out to keep the pantry in operation. “A dollar a week translates, if just the churchgoers in Bristol gave a dollar a week, that would be $4,000,” Spence said.

Spence also is reaching out to the local American Legion Post and Lions Club to hopefully do the same.

Donations (monetary and non-perishable food) for Bristol Community Food Pantry are being accepted at any Bristol church, including:

Bristol United Methodist Church, 201 S. Division St.
Bristol Missionary Church, 19912 S.R. 120
Bristol Church of the Nazarene, 401 Hilbish Blvd.
Bonneyville Mennonite Church, 15273 S.R. 120
First Baptist Church, 53953 C.R. 17
St. Mary's Catholic Church, 411 E. Vistula St.
St. John of the Cross Episcopal Church, 601 E. Vistula St.
Tri-Lakes Community Church, 50755 C.R. 23

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