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| Jim Pollock of Newport Church of Christ (left) and Jim Witwer of London Church of the Nazarene volunteer at the Madison County Food Pantry on the first evening the pantry has been open in over 27 years. Located at 137 Maple St. in London, the pantry is now open every Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. to serve families in need of emergency food. The pantry also is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, leave a message at 740-852-5822, ext. 1. |
The Madison County Food Pantry board of directors recently voted to open the pantry an extra day every week.
Twelve local churches run the pantry, which has been in operation for over 27 years. Every church has a voting representative that is invited to attend quarterly meetings.
The pantry is open on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. for a trial period of six months. The board will revisit the decision at its Oct. 21 meeting.
During the trial period, participating churches will not be required to volunteer but are welcome to assist if they choose. The pantry has a core group of 15 volunteers, some from churches and some who are not affiliated with churches, who will take on this responsibility.
The decision to expand hours was based on the fact that working families in need of food cannot make it to the pantry during normal hours—Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.
Secondly, the pantry has an abundance of volunteers; the additional hours create more volunteer openings.
The mission of the pantry is “to make sure no child in our community goes to bed hungry.” With summer fast approaching, many children who normally get a free lunch at school will have to get that lunch at home. The board’s goal is to assist these families.
The new hours go into effect May 6. The Madison County Food Pantry is located at 137 Maple St. in London. Call 740-852-5822, ext. 1 to leave a message with any questions.
