Clarksville Food Pantry

Volunteer Newsletter

August 2023

Distributing Supplemental Food For Adults, Children, & Especially Seniors, Who Lack An Adequate Supply

Volunteer Highlight

St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church


St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church has been part of Clarksville since 1947.   We express our Faith by good examples by love and concern for all God’s people through prayer, charity, and service each and every moment of our lives.  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we put love into action by caring for the needs of others, especially the hungry.  Our Parish supports the Food Pantry with a team of 8 people (Lea Kapsch, Cindy Alward, Bud Alward, June Russell, Brigitte Pennington, Phil Fancher, David Pennington, Cheryl French, and Mike Kapsch)

Volunteer

PROJECT: CARE- FOR, INC

CLARKSVILLE FOOD PANTRY

BACKPACK BUDDIES

THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY DINNER


We are delighted to serve Clarksville to be a better community. These established programs demonstrate the need of nourishment for the food insecure population in our area.


As you can see, there are three areas that require your time, talents and compassion for those in need, but your reward will be a heartfelt story from a client, a smile or hug from a child or sharing a meal with a new acquaintance.


If your church is volunteering already, speak with your church contact for more information. If your church or someone you know would like to be part of this worthwhile mission, reach out to the contacts below.

 

Clarksville Food Pantry   Jessie Ruff  434-210-6487  

jessie.ruff@verizon.net

Backpack Buddies  Rusty Bishop  301- 706- 9649

Rusty.bishop@verizon.net 

Thanksgiving Community Dinner  Terri Lee  804- 356-7288 BoznJax@hotmail.com

 

Thank you and we look forward to working with you.


Jessie Ruff

Upcoming Pantry Schedule

August 2023

August 2nd & August 5th

St Luke Baptist Church

August 9th & August 12th

Union Chapel Baptist Church

August 16th & August 19th

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church

Aug 23rd & August 26th

Averett Baptist Church

August 30th & September 2nd 

Cherry Hill Baptist Church

September 2023

September 2nd  

Cherry Hill Baptist Church

September 6th & September 9th

Clarksville Lions Club

September 13th & September 16th

Clarksville Presbyterian Church

September 20th & September 23rd

House of Prayer Church

September 27th & September 30th    

Jamison United Methodist Church

Pantry News



August's Non-Grocery Item


The bottom three shelves of the shelf closest to the computer desk has the August non-grocery items. There is a mixture of paper products available. Please add one item only to each #1 pantry box.

when packing #1 boxes. Limit one per family.

Community Partners

Lake Country Community Garden

Summer 2023

Thank you Community Garden Volunteers for all you do to support the Clarksville Food Pantry! We are so thankful and appreciative for each of you!

So far this year the Community Garden has donated over 3000 pounds of produce to the pantry!

Food For Thought

For Kids, Summer is the Hungriest Time of the Year


Millions of children in the United States today don't get the healthy food they need. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, projections show that 1 in 6 kids face hunger - a staggering figure.


Longitudinal data suggest that children's learning outcomes suffer when they regularly experience hunger and that nearly every aspect of physical and mental function is hurt as well. Food insecurity affects concentration, memory, mood, and motor skills, all of which a child needs to be able to be successful in school.


During a regular school year, we can reach many of these children with programs like free breakfast, lunch and afterschool meals. But during the summer, when schools are closed, those meals disappear.

How Can You Help?

  • Children who aren’t getting enough food at home might complain often of headaches, stomachaches, and other ailments, and are at risk of falling behind in nearly every way.
  • Greet children and families when they arrive at the pantry. Kindness helps families feel comfortable visiting the pantry and asking for food.
  • Adjust the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables given based on the number of children and adults in the family.
  • Waiting for food to come to the car is a good time to teach a child about healthy eating, including eating vegetables. Vegetables give children energy. Eating vegetables can also protect your child against chronic diseases. Children under eight years should have 2-4½ serves of vegetables each day.
  • Encourage children to help unpack the vegetables once home. Seeing a lot of different vegetables can make children more curious and interested to try them.

The Dating Dilemma

We've got Veggies!


Fact: The United States throws away 150,000 tons of food daily. On average, each household wastes around $1,500 worth of food per year. And fruits and vegetables account for 39 percent of this loss.



A Few Simple Tricks to Reduce the Amount of Fresh Produce We Toss


  • Make sure produce is thoroughly dry as excess water will cause spoilage.
  • Onions and potatoes should be stored on a shelf, not in the refrigerator.
  • If tomatoes are not yet ripe, they are best stored on a shelf for a few days until they ripen.
  • If storing yellow squash or zucchini in the refrigerator, do not wash the squash before storing.
  • If we have bagged salad available, please distribute all during your shift.
  • Please be sure refrigerator doors are closed tightly otherwise the vegetables will freeze. If using one of the large white bins, please do not put in sideways as they prevent the doors from closing completely. If possible, use the black or clear bins as they fit best in the refrigerators.
  • If we have bananas, please distribute all during your shift.


Thank you for your commitment to the Clarksville Food Pantry

Get In Touch

Clarksville Food Pantry

Clarksville Community Center

103 Woodland Drive

Clarksville, VA 23927

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