A Well-Stocked Pantry at Park Hill’s Service
GPHC’s Emergency Food Pantry provides neighborhood families
in need with a 3-day supply of food during times of crisis
By Robyn Fishman
Executive Director, GPHC
Charles Carter, 56, shares his home with his 89-year-old father, who suffers from dementia. Charles started going to the Greater Park Hill Community Emergency Pantry after he was laid off from his job. Unemployment, combined with the ever-increasing demands of caring for his father, made it hard to make ends meet.
“Just a little bit of help can make a big difference to extend our budget by the end of the month, so sometimes we’ve had to rely on the pantry to get by,” said Charles.
“Sherry” is a vibrant, outgoing woman who is not shy about sharing opinions, but still preferred not to use her real name for this story. It is hard for some people to admit that they need help with something as basic as food, when their neighbors may have no idea they are struggling. Sherry survives on Social Security Disability Insurance following a serious car accident which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. She’s also survived two strokes and has significant vision impairment.
“My grandkids stay with me every weekend, so I try to stretch my food stamps to cover their needs too, “ said Sherry, “but it’s never enough to feed everyone.”
Her family’s food stamp allowance was cut from $176 to only $60, so Sherry has had to get creative.
“We use our food stamps to buy meat, because pantries don’t usually have that,” said Sherry. “Then we try to fill in meals with corn and other vegetables, by going to a food bank.”
Sherry says her family wouldn’t have enough to eat if she didn’t ask food pantries for help, so she appreciates having one available in Park Hill that she can get to easily in times of need.
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The GPHC Emergency Food pantry has a long history of providing food to those who have found themselves in difficult circumstances, like Charles and Sherry. Originally called The Food Shelf, the pantry was stocked with canned goods donated mostly from local churches that were available any time someone requested assistance.
With economic changes exploding the demand in recent years, the pantry grew to be something much bigger. With growing use came growing pains for its operation. GPHC’s small food storage space and expanding client base began to overwhelm GPHC’s limited staff and organizational capacity, increasing the risk for abuse and overextension.
The GPHC Executive Committee wanted to ensure that funds were spent efficiently purchasing food from Food Bank of the Rockies, so it was reluctantly agreed that the Pantry should close for a period of reassessment, restructuring and remodeling. Remaining food on the GPHC shelves was distributed and the pantry went dormant for much of last summer and fall.
Hunger, however, did not take a break. It remained in the Park Hill schools where 2,645 children qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2012, including 98% of the students at Smith Elementary. People like Charles Carter and Sherry struggled, too.
“When the pantry closed, it was tough. We had to really cut back just to barely get by,” said Charles.
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During the reassessment period, new requirements for service were explored while other available community resources were surveyed to see if they could adequately meet needs. GPHC’s new Executive Director, Robyn Fishman, and volunteer, Becky Richardson, started an extensive research project of connecting with other pantries to determine best practices. In the end, it was decided that GPHC would maintain its storied food pantry, but that better inventory controls would be put in place to ensure that GPHC dollars and community donations were being spent on food that was going to those who needed it most. At the conclusion of the reassessment, the GPHC Emergency Food Bank has a new food pantry application, a new client tracking system, a new food inventory system, and new management – while maintaining the client choice model allowing clients to select their own food.
While GPHC geared up for reopening by painting and outfitting the pantry space with a second refrigerator, Park Hill-area donors started restocking the shelves for holiday food baskets: Venture Prep students collected 1,200 cans during a fall food drive, which were then sorted by local Brownie Troop 1677, and Junior Girl Scout Troop 2771. Near Thanksgiving, people showed up unannounced with turkeys and stuffing, wanting to ensure that families in need did not go without. The grandchildren of Patty Shapiro and Sue Hadlock brought in food purchased with their Hanukkah money, then Patty sorted and stocked the food brought in by others as well. Financial gifts to GPHC allowed for the purchase of side dishes and pies for Thanksgiving and hams for Christmas baskets. Thanks to these and numerous other donations, 95 people received the fixings for complete meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The pantry reopened for weekly Wednesday service in February. Pantry clients are now given a “shopping list” based on family size, which allows them to choose only a certain number of protein items, fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. Items are placed on tables in color-coded crates for the weekly distribution in the GPHC Community Room. Items that are getting closer to expiration can go out first, and certain high-quantity items can be featured – like the 248 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies donated by Troop 3573, for dessert. Thanks to donations from Park Hill residents, the pantry has also been able to offer personal care items, like soap, toothpaste and incontinence supplies for those who need them. Items can be quickly selected by category and, with volunteer help, multiple clients can move through and quickly choose what they need. Clients are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags to carry the food home, to keep the pantry as “green” an operation as possible.
Photo identification and proof of Park Hill residency is documented for all clients. Before being distributed, all cans are individually labeled “GPHC” after being checked carefully for expiration and package integrity. The overall operation has become much more focused. With its intention to offer emergency assistance in short-term situations, the Pantry criteria also changed limits from once every other month, to once per month with a limit of six visits per year. It’s the same annual service limit, but geared more toward the needs of those experiencing a true urgent need.
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“Carol,” who recently found work after being laid off for the last five months, said the pantry’s new service policy is helping her to manage her money.
“A lot of bills piled up while I wasn’t working. I had doctor bills, and we got behind with Xcel right when it was coldest. I need my new paychecks to get me caught up on those bills, so being able to get help with a little food two months in a row instead of having to buy it puts me closer to getting back on my feet.”
Charles, who volunteered at the pantry in the past, really likes how it is operating under the new guidelines, as a client.
“You can control what goes out and we can easily see everything available, but I appreciate that you kept it client choice. Choosing only the things we really need helps us more, and helps you reduce waste,” he said.
When Charles was asked if he had any other suggestions for food pantry operations, he said simply:
“Keep it going! Please, just keep it going.”
With the continuing support of the Park Hill community, we will.
Students from the Odyssey School with teacher Andy Hartman pose with some of the 1200 cans of food they collected and sorted; the Junior Girl Scouts of Troop #3573 delivered 248 boxes of cookies donated by Park Hill residents, back row, L-R: Dayanna Arjon, Jane Kealey, Fiona Shore, Aspen Reeves, Piper Molins, Hayley Redecker and Fiona Goe, front row, L-R: Lucy Francone, Gillian Mills, Tess Widler, Lily Lowe and Ellie McWhirter; Marsha Woodward started refilling the pantry shelves with donations from Park Hill United Methodist Church – other regular donations have come from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Park Hill Congregational Church, Temple Micah and the Park Hill Branch Library; Junior Girl Scouts of Troop #2771 helped in the pantry, L-R: Kendra Lollar, Isabel Kuhl, Ashley Schoultz, Natalie Wadhwa, Mollie Barnes and Bella Padilla.