Carroll County Food Pantries meet basic and emergency needs

The+Carroll+County+food+pantry+has+been+running+on+limited+volunteers+during+COVID.+

Teresa Maxwell

The Carroll County food pantry has been running on limited volunteers during COVID.

The Carroll County food pantry was started by the Carroll County Council of Churches in the 1970s. In 1981 The Carroll County Food Pantry became an independent, nonprofit corporation. The food pantries formed together, hoping to meet the basic and emergency needs of the hungry within the county. 

 

From time to time, people in our community are in emergency hunger situations. When this is the case, the food pantry provides emergency products, including groceries and personal hygiene products such as toilet paper, soap, etc.  They can have these products out in three to five days. The amount of food and products the person gets is based on the amount of adults and children in the household. The larger the family, the more food and products the family can receive. During COVID, the pantries are providing pre-prepared boxes of previously mentioned food and supplies. Before the pandemic hit, patrons were able to “shop” in the building that is arranged like a grocery store. They have fresh produce, canned goods, boxed mixes, fresh dairy, and frozen meat available. However, they do not take out-of-date or expired food. They also do not take clothing, household appliances, or furniture. 

 

Delphi’s own FFA chapter works closely with the Carroll County food pantries. “We donate all our produce from the community garden to the Carroll County food pantries,” informed Mr. Plank, one of the FFA advisors at Delphi Community High School. He went on to explain that the food pantry located on Center Street in Flora will typically have more fresh produce compared to the food pantry on Washington Street in Delphi due to the fact that Flora has more space to take in products. The Delphi FFA also hosts a corporation wide food drive every fall. These donated items are later used in the Christmas Baskets, another community service project the FFA does. The items that are not used in the Christmas Baskets are given to the food pantries. However, due to the pandemic, they did not collect food this year. However, it takes more than a pandemic to stop the generous nature of students. The Delphi elementary school still collected 20 boxes of non-perishable food items that the FFA later delivered to the food pantry.

 

Local members of the community can help the food pantry by donating non-perishable food items. They may do so from 10 am to noon on Mondays and Fridays.During those same hours, patrons may also pick up their products. 

 

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been more difficult to use volunteer services. People have been generous with donating money, particularly early on in the outbreak.  Also due to the pandemic, the food pantry is not allowing the public into the building, making it even more difficult to serve patrons. “I will brag,” commented Teresa Maxwell, the county president, “Carroll County residents are among the most generous people around. We have received great contributions of items and funds to purchase what is needed.”