New but familiar faces are now on the Stockton Food Pantry Board

The Stockton Food Pantry is in a small building in the alley behind the Main Street Christian Church (602 Main). And while it may be small in size, it provides a big and much-needed service to the community.

During the past several years, Sandi Rogers, Patty Jackson, Duane Harris, Mike Rogers, and Larry Gosselin, to name a few, have worked tirelessly on the Board to provide those in need with grocery staples at least once a month. In the last few months, there have been some changes on the 501c3 Board, with Cathy Jones now serving as president, Mike Rogers as vice president, Corrine Dix as secretary, Torrie Jones as treasurer, and Duane Harris helping to oversee the Pantry, along with many volunteers.

Cathy became involved after talking with Mike Rogers when the Girl Scout Troop she helps with had a food drive. The two visited about the Pantry, and after hearing that some of the board members were retiring from the position, Cathy volunteered to serve on the Board over a year ago. Corrine and Torrie joined as new Board members in February.

The Pantry is open every third Thursday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and on the fourth Tuesday for produce from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. It serves approximately 20 to 30 families each month but sometimes varies during the holidays or when a family falls on hard times due to job loss, illness, etc. Also, there is no income requirement; the Pantry is there for those in need within the Stockton School District boundaries and can serve around 70 families monthly.

The Pantry is a non-profit organization under the Kansas Food Bank of Wichita umbrella, where it purchases its meat to go with the non-perishable items generously donated from the community, businesses, and organizations. People can also donate by signing up at the Stockton City Hall to have an automatic donation of $1.00 added to their monthly city bill, with these funds going toward the purchase of meat and other necessities.

People might not know that a grocery account is set up at Webster’s Supermarket if they would like to make a monetary donation there or at Solutions North Bank. This way, the Board can purchase items if the Pantry runs low on meat and other items throughout the year. Also, monetary donations are tax-deductible.

One of the Board’s goals is to purchase a new upright freezer for the facility, and they will apply for grants for this purpose. Cathy and Torrie stated that the community is very generous, and they appreciate the donations of turkeys for Thanksgiving, ham, and pies during the Christmas and Easter holidays. They would have room to accommodate these extra gifts by purchasing a new freezer.

Other gifts come from the garden variety, with people supplying the Pantry with homegrown vegetables and fruits, eggs, and other farm produce. The Board asks that these perishable donations be brought in the day before or when the Pantry is open for that month or that they call Cathy (785-737-3520) or Mike (785-623-9348) to make arrangements.

Non-perishable items can be dropped off at the area churches, Kester’s Car Quest, or Webster’s Supermarket. (Please do not leave donations outside of the Pantry.)

The members are also working on a bulletin board at the Food Pantry and brochures that would supply other community resources and contact information for families.

They already send the local churches an updated list of their most needed items each month, which helps replenish the Pantry when running low.

Each month, the Pantry has a list of items families can choose from, which covers a wide variety of staples, including canned goods, beans, cereals, powdered milk, sugar, flour, soup, etc. There is also a miscellaneous table at the front of the Pantry where people can pick up a few more items.

Cathy and Torrie also stated that the Pantry also needs personal care products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, denture cleaner, etc., which help during emergency assistance or when new families move to town. The Board also sees a need for pet food and paper goods.

The Pantry Board appreciates the volunteers who help during the distribution days, so if any organization would like to help, please get in touch with one of the Board members so they can be put on the schedule. Or they can talk to Cathy about making packaged items such as a cake kit or special holiday or seasonal treats for the Pantry.

The new board members are stepping in and are thankful for the many dedicated years of the old board members. They look forward to serving the community for many more years.