Pantry Partners, the community food bank located in Stevensville, recently received a $5,000 donation from Stevensville resident Rick Harrison. Harrison serves as Chaplain for the American Legion Post 94 in Stevensville, but he was making a personal donation to the Pantry Partners that day.
“I just want to do the right thing,” he said. He said it was hard times and he could see that a lot of young parents were struggling. Harrison said that he had faced some hard times in the past and been helped out and now that he had the means, he wanted to give back.
Volunteer Kathy Belke, former president of the Board of Pantry Partners, was on hand to accept the donation. She thanked Harrison for his thoughtfulness and generosity and said the donation was much appreciated and that it would help the Pantry immensely in delivering its services.
The non-profit food bank has been serving north valley residents since 1989. It provides a monthly food box to those in need. The box is meant to assist clients for a three- to five-day period. In addition, clients can visit the “Porch” to obtain donated items, including fresh produce, bakery goods, milk and eggs.
Clients can visit the Porch once a week. It is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1 until 2:30 p.m. Usually there is a variety of breads and fresh produce, as well as milk and other food items donated by local grocers and community gardeners. This area is known as the Pantry Porch because the first Pantry Partner building had a large porch where these items were displayed. The name was continued in the newer building now located at 3614 ALC Way, off of Middle Burnt Fork Road.
Information is also available at the Pantry to further assist clients with such assistance programs as SNAP, WIC and LIEAP. The goal is to ensure that no members of the community go to bed hungry. Donations like Harrison’s are critical to providing these vital services.
Pantry Partners also welcomes donations of food and personal items from the community.
Guidelines for acceptable donations include:
• Fresh eggs from home and commercial operations
• Fresh produce from home gardens and commercial farms
• Commercially canned goods (undented, no more than 2 years past the expiration date)
• Commercially packed meats, including game
• Unopened commercially packaged foods, including juices and baby food
• Unopened box and bag goods, like cereals, hamburger helper, beans, rice and sugar (Bulk items are welcomed, but the food division into individual packages must be done at the Pantry to obey food safety regulations.)
• Unopened spices and herbs, flavoring packets
• Unopened personal items, like shampoos, conditioners, soaps, deodorants, feminine hygiene products and diapers
• Unopened first aid items, like band-aids, ointments, gauze, etc.
• All paper goods, including toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels, tape
•All cleaning supplies, like detergent and dishwashing soap.
The following items are unacceptable due to food safety guidelines:
• No home canned goods (including preserves, jellies, etc.)
• No home prepared meat or game
• No opened food items
• Commercially packed goods that are more than 2 years past the expiration date.
Pantry Partners can be reached at (406) 777-0351. It can also be found on internet at pantrypartnersfoodbank.org or on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/PantryPartnersFoodBank