Pantry braces for uptick in food need

“We need churches to step up and buy things to bring to us. We do have several churches that do. One in particular does a fifth Sunday breakfast drive. They collect breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, things like that. But fifth Sundays don’t happen that frequently. We do get support, and it takes that support to get these items to the shelves.””

Rebecca Cooley, pantry coordinator

Child Welfare Committee partners with food coalition

By Jamie Vinson

Advocate Managing Editor

Over the weekend, the Montgomery County Child Welfare Committee met to discuss a way to support those here who may face food insecurity due to the government shutdown.

“We all agreed that a community-wide food drive is the quickest and most practical way to get food into the hands of those who need it,” the committee shared on social media.

The committee advises “If the shutdown subsides and SNAP benefits are reinstated for November, all donated items will still be used to fight hunger."

That, the committee stressed, is “truly a win-win.”

If SNAP benefits are delayed, the committee warns that “it will take everyone who is willing and able to participate.”

“Thank you in advance to our community, for your efforts, your generosity, and your compassion as we meet the needs of our neighbors. Together, we can make a difference,” the committee adds.

The committee has now partnered with the food coalition. The Montgomery County Health Dept. is a drop-off site for donations, which after collected will go to the food pantry.

Shelf stable/non-perishable items will be accepted from now until Nov. 24. Some suggested items are cans of fruit and vegetables, mac-n-cheese, rice, cereal, box milk, pasta, pasta sauce, etc.

The drop-off location is the Montgomery County Health and Civic Center (health dept. clinic) Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The committee asks that you not bring expired food, rusted or dented cans.

Monetary donations can be made via Venmo @MOCOChildAbusePrevention.

Those in need can apply at https://bit.ly/SCFCPantry to the able to go to the food bank and receive services.

With the federal government shutdown ongoing and the expectation that SNAP benefits may not go out Nov. 1, food pantries are preparing for an increase in need.

Rebecca Cooley, the Sterling Community Food Coalition pantry coordinator, said when reached by the Advocate Monday, “The need is going up, you can see that by the number of new people we are serving. Already since Friday (of last week), I’ve received probably 20 calls of people asking how to sign up for the food pantry.  Just today (Monday) there were probably 10 calls. People just keep calling or we are getting calls from people who haven’t been here in a long time saying they need to come back because they are going to be losing their benefits.”

Kentucky’s Dept. for Community Based Services previously noted that while SNAP continues to operate during October, it advised, “Because of the federal government shutdown, Kentucky has been told that November 2025 SNAP benefits may be delayed if the shutdown continues. It is not yet known whether November benefits will be loaded on EBT cards on time, or at all, while the shutdown continues.”

The USDA oversees the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which, according to the USDA’s website, provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food essential to health and well-being. The USDA’s website currently notes at the top of its home page “At this time, there will be no benefits issued Nov. 1.”

Kentucky has joined more than 20 other states in the filing of a federal lawsuit challenging the suspension of November SNAP benefits. 

For the week of Oct. 20-24, the Sterling Community Food Coalition served 191 households, representing a total of 385 household members.

Eighteen households visited the pantry for the first time or the first time in more than a year, representing 32 individuals. Seventy-four households visited twice during the week of Oct. 20-24, representing 157 household members.

In total, the pantry recorded 265 visits for last week, serving 542 household members across those visits.

Those who utilize the pantry are permitted to visit twice a week, Cooley said. 

“We are limited in what they can take each time they come because it’s based on donations that we get from the stores on a weekly basis, what churches and other organizations have brought in and then we do have to buy a lot,” Cooley told the Advocate.

She added, “Our vendor who we normally get things from through God’s Pantry, they are limited in what they have available and they are running low.”

Cooley said she often has to go Walmart, Kroger or Save A Lot to buy items to keep the shelves stocked at the pantry. 

Cooley said the pantry needs financial donations.

“We need churches to step up and buy things to bring to us. We do have several churches that do. One in particular does a fifth Sunday breakfast drive. They collect breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, things like that,” Cooley said. “But fifth Sundays don’t happen that frequently. We do get support, and it takes that support to get these items to the shelves.”

In addition to its normal weekly food offerings, the pantry is also looking to provide Thanksgiving meal boxes. It would be a separate box of food that would give given to those who are eligible who visit the pantry.

For a look at how you can contribute to that particular cause or donate items to the pantry, see the related story.

Monetary donations are tax exempt as the food pantry is a 501 (c) (3) organization.

The pantry accepts cash donations, checks made payable to P.O. box 637, Mt. Sterling, Ky., 40353 or you can donate by PayPal or Zeffy. 

You can also donate by visiting the coalition’s website, http://sterlingcommunityfoodcoalition.org and clicking donate.