Funviralpark Food pantry that provides about 200,000 meals a year
This is the season of celebration — celebrating the birth of Christ, celebrating the family, and much more. It’s also the season of giving. From a very personal point of view, I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate giving, especially our giving community.
As an active member of the Sandusky County Food Pantry, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible generosity of the people of this area. Churches, schools, businesses, organizations of various kinds, and countless individuals have contributed donations, often through hard work on their part, to help provide for the underprivileged in this region. .
This generosity has helped us grow over the years and even keep us open during the months when so many places were closed during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. rice field.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
Big decisions about what goes in which section
I am the newest in a long line of presidents of Food Pantry whose history stretches back almost 50 years. As president, I have to make some real decisions, like whether to have canned beef stew with soup or what I call the spaghetti ooze section, which includes canned ravioli. can.
For almost 50 years, people have made much more important decisions to open their pantries and keep them growing.
In 1975, interested citizens and ministry associations convened a local church meeting to start this food pantry. This was seen as a possible way to make the service more efficient. The aim was to get food and money donations and establish one place where people could ask for help.
The pantry originally operated out of the Burger Chef’s basement
Joseph Amann was the first president, and the pantry operated out of the Burger Chef’s basement on the east side of Fremont. Food was distributed by Rudy Sprenger, who runs Burger Chef. When that became impossible, Pantry moved into a room at 612 Napoleon Street behind Ray’s Linder’s Barber Shop. Eventually, new owner Larry Rollbacker continued to create space for the pantry, but the basement room was difficult for the elderly volunteers.
From there, Pantry moved to 128 ½ South Granville. This building was the Noftz and Avers embroidery shop for nearly 30 years. The building’s owner, her Lyla Avers, has served as secretary and records keeper for many years, becoming heavily involved in operations. She has been renting space from Share and Care on Bidwell Avenue since she had to move out of that building about six years ago. Some of the volunteers, with the help of Boy Scouts, have rebuilt part of the old grocery store facility into an efficient pantry.
Over the years, the operation has grown. In the second half of the last century, pantries served about 3,500 people and provided about 65,000 meals a year. Today, through Community Christmas, he serves approximately 10,000 people and provides approximately 200,000 meals each year, in addition to serving over 200 holiday family meals.
AGAIN: Thank you.
R.Oy Wilhelm began his 40-year career as a reporter for The News-Messenger in 1965. He is now retired and writes columns for both The News-Messenger and the News Herald.
