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Laurel Ministerial Association, local thrift store create food pantry for those in need
LAUREL – Deb Hammer knows personally what it’s like to struggle to put food on the table.
“I’ve been there. I’ve needed food stamps . . . and that’s why I’m so passionate for helping people,” she said.
As secretary of the Laurel-Concord Ministerial Association, Hammer and other local church leaders have seen the community’s food insecurity grow over the past few years. The local food bank closed nearly five years ago, leaving individual churches to help in the form of gift cards to grocery stores.
“There are people that just need a meal right now,” she said, adding that the funds typically provided for food aid do not stretch as far as they used to.
Ministerial Association members have been discussing options for more than a year, but their timeline was accelerated when the federal government shutdown caused a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamp) benefits. The pause affects about 150,000 low-income recipients across the state, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
“We can’t wait; now’s the time,” Hammer said.
Hammer said she sees everyday working families who rely on SNAP benefits but still struggle due to rising housing, insurance and utility costs. One ill-timed car repair or a family member getting sick can destroy a tight budget, she said.
She put the word out to her fellow church leaders and the community on a social media post and the response was almost immediate. People started donating food that same day.
Ashley Jelinek, president of the Logan Creek Vintage & Thrift Store, said the thrift store board had also been talking about the need for a local food pantry. She reached out to the Ministerial Association and found out the churches were also working to find a solution to food insecurity.
“We both had the same idea at the same time,” Jelinek said.
She offered the back alley of the thrift store to place a Little Food Pantry. Based off the concept of the Little Free Library, the new pantry is essentially a cabinet where people can drop off and pick up non-perishable food items.
The pantry cabinet at the back of the thrift store at 107 E. Second St. is a temporary solution while a more permanent structure is built, Hammer said.
“It’s a little more discreet and not front and center,” Jelinek said.
Dry goods are preferred for stocking the pantry such as boxed cake mixes, rice, cereal, macaroni and cheese, bagged pasta, Hamburger Helper and soups in a bag. Food can be stocked inside the Little Free Pantry anytime or brought to any local church.
It’s important for donations to be non-perishable, not expired, and food that people want to eat, she said. The food would be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thrift store volunteers will be caretakers of the Little Food Pantry, stocking it and making sure food items aren’t expired.
Those wanting to provide more than food, can donate grocery store gift cards inside the thrift store, Jelinek said. Hammer said local churches as part of the Ministerial Association will also take monetary donations earmarked for the food pantry.
Along with the Little Free Pantry, the Ministerial Association hopes to restore a food bank that could be opened a few times per month. Then, volunteers can put together an “essential food kit” for people to pick up and have all the fixings for a meal such as pasta, sauce and bread for an Italian meal or pancake mix and syrup for breakfast.
“We put the word out for people to start collecting food,” Hammer said. “It’s kind of a work in progress, experimenting to see the needs of the community.”
It will soon be time for the Ministerial Association’s Holiday Food Box distributions also. A dozen or more food boxes will be prepared with a holiday meal to distribute to those in need. For Thanksgiving, the boxes include traditional turkey, potatoes, bread, butter, vegetables and stuffing. At Christmas, those same food items will be in the box, but the turkey will be replaced with a ham.
“A lot of the time, these are for people who aren’t even on SNAP,” Hammer said. “They’re struggling but they’re too proud to even apply for SNAP. They’re barely getting by.”
The holiday boxes are supplied through monetary donations received by local churches and partially funded through Thrivent Financial. The Laurel Chamber also supports the effort with businesses collecting donations for the cause.
