Monday Food Packing Volunteers Back row: Chris Slocumb, Director, Thomas Butler, Matt Kaplan Middle: Evelyn Terry, Peggy Carson, Jenn Palan, Paula McDonald Front: Virginia Boyd, Ruby Dennard, Kathy Jones, Darryl Carter.

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Two of life’s greatest necessities are food and love. On Tuesday 156 individuals and families received both. The Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, 606 McGarrah Street in Americus, has been distributing free food to the needy since 2013. Founded by Sonny Pinckard and his wife Ginger Pinckard, the pantry provides over 640 substantial boxes of food monthly to eligible individuals and families and over 700 monthly during the holiday season. Eighty-seven year old Pinckard is still passionate about the Pantry’s mission, “This food pantry is the best thing going on in Americus, Georgia. We all work together to help everyone regardless of who they are and we have a lot of fun while doing it. We have a good board and solid community support. The people of Americus are very generous. Although I retired 2 years ago, and passed the title of Director to Chris Slocumb, I still enjoy visiting the Pantry and volunteering.” The food pantry distributes food on the first four Tuesdays of the month from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and also on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Volunteers, like Kathy Jones, who has been volunteering at the Food Pantry since it opened in 2013, says her job and that of the other volunteers “is to make sure everyone gets what they need and it goes out the door in a timely manner.”

“Local churches and individuals donate money and food and Second Harvest of South Georgia, a branch of Feeding America, sells us food in bulk, currently at $.19 a pound. This is the equivalent of about $.19 per can,” says Chris Slocumb the Pantry’s current Director. “Local farmers are beyond generous. Koinonia Farm provides volunteers, frozen blueberries, muscadines and cantaloupes when in season. Food Lion provides frozen meats among other food items. Pat’s Place donates 1000 plastic bags per month. This is only a partial list of our supporters.” When asked if there where any challenges to providing so much food to so many on a consistent basis, Slocumb said, “One of our biggest challenges currently is the price of peanut butter. It’s a vital staple and the cost has more than tripled in recent months. One way people and churches can help, aside from financial donations, is to donate peanut butter. Frozen hamburger patties have also increased substantially in price.”

Paula McDonald has been volunteering at the Pantry for about a year. She first became aware of the Pantry when she noticed the line outside one Tuesday morning, then “Peggy Carson gave a Mission Report during our bible study at First Baptist and said they needed volunteers.” Packaging volunteers meet at the Pantry on Mondays at 7:00 a.m., “although it’s a rolling start,” says Slocumb. Volunteers are organized into small groups and work like an assembly line. The first person opens a double, plastic bag and loads the first few items, then it is passed to the next person and so on until it has the required items. The last person ties the bag and places it into a cart, where a volunteer rolls the tied bags to an area where all of the components of this week’s distribution are assembled and boxed. Slocumb and his wife Rhonda Slocumb, “who does the books and inputs the data into the computer,” come in the day before and organize all the stations so that the bags and boxes can be packed quickly. The packing process takes a little over an hour, then volunteers break down boxes and double bag the plastic bags so they are ready for the following Monday. The Monday volunteers are finished by or before 9:00 a.m. “God provides the food, and it’s a substantial amount they get,” says Slocumb. “It is miraculous how it all comes together.” This week, the recipients received: 2 pastas and 2 tomato sauces, 2 apple sauces, 2 cans of green beans, 2 cans of kidney beans, 2 cans of collards, a box of crackers, 2 tins of herring, 1 jar of peanut butter, 1 large multi-pack of Ramon Noodles, 1 large pouch of Stew Beef, 1 large pouch of Chicken, half gallon apple juice, a box of cereal, a bag of frozen fish filets, a box of broth and a container of shelf-stable milk. They also received fresh squash. “The food would cost $75.00 to $100.00 in the store,” according to Slocumb. “The demand for food in the counties we service is growing. Monetary donations are the most helpful, because we can buy in bulk much cheaper than you can buy in the store,” says Peggy Carson, board member and volunteer since 2020.

The process for receiving food on Tuesdays is streamlined and efficient. Recipients form a line at the entrance under the covered walkway and are greeted by smiling volunteers like Ella Leach, a long-time volunteer and “interviewer.” Leach greets many of the recipients by name and asks how they are doing. “How’s your momma doing? Did the surgery go well? You look like you’re feeling better, how’s that knee doing.” Everyone is treated like they are welcome guests. Cindy Williams writes everyone’s names into the log book. Then an interviewer signs them in. After they sign in, they are given a slip that reminds them when they are eligible to return to the Food Pantry. Recipients can visit the food pantry once per month. To qualify, recipients must be residents of Sumter County or the surrounding areas and have a total monthly household income of no more than $2,510.00 for a household of one, $3,407.00 for two, $4,304 for three, $5,200 for a household of four. Each additional member adds roughly $897.00 to the maximum income.” New recipients show a copy of their ID and provide a phone number. Harvest of Hope does not discriminate against anyone. All are welcome. According to its mission statement, “…the Harvest of Hope Food Pantry feeds the hungry, promotes physical and spiritual health and brings people together in a community of love.”

Every food box comes with a blessing card: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15-13.” La despensa de alimentos Cosecha de Esperanza abre los primeros cuatro martes del mes de 8:30 a 11:00 a.m. Para ser slegible, debe vivir en el condado de Sumter o áreas circundantes, tener una identificación y un número de teléfono, y tener un ingreso mensual que cumpla con los requisitos. Todos son bienvenidos. La despensa de alimentos necesita voluntarios bilingües.  Please call 229-891-1967 if you would like to volunteer or if you need food. Donations should be mailed to P.O. Box 6111, Americus, GA 31709 and are tax deductible.