Free Food Pantry one year old

It might be said that because Peggy Burke likes to read, low income families from 15 communities in the Greater Pittston area have food pantry to serve them. Inspired by a book, Burke founded the Greater Pittston Food Pantry last October. On Wednesday the pantry had a first birthday party replete with cake and balloons.

Burke, an active volunteer with the Care and Concern Committee of the Parish Community of St. John the Evangelist, read “Take This Bread” by Sara Miles. A former war correspondent, Miles converted to Christianity at age 46 after impulsively walking into a church and receiving communion for the first time. Within a year she started a food pantry for hundreds of San Francisco’s indigent.

Burke spearheaded a Care and Concern Committee project to create a food pantry for Greater Pittston. She turned to an existing local pantry for help. “The Trucksville United Methodist Food Bank has been in existence for 30 years, so we modeled our food bank after theirs,” Burke said.

The Pittston pantry operates under the Commission on Economic Opportunity’s (CEO) guidelines at the site of the former Seton Catholic High School Building on William Street, Pittston.

When the pantry opened a year ago a story in this newspaper produced over 40 volunteers. A year later 20 of the original volunteers are still working. Volunteer Sharon Washinski can’t get enough of helping. “I wish I could do this everyday,” she said as she picked food for packages on Wednesday morning. Food packages are distributed once a week on Wednesdays.

While the original goal was to prepare food packages for 20 families a week, the pantry is now averaging 50 with a high of 60. There are 530 households registered with the pantry.

Burke, a retired registered dietician, tries to keep the packages nutritionally sound with soups/stews/complete meals, juices, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, canned ham and tuna, pasta, rice, bread, grains, cereal, crackers, pancake mix, and Nutri-grain bars, but doesn’t exclude beverages snacks, cookies and desserts.

The pantry gets most of its food from CEO, but relies heavily on donations, of food and money, from the public. On Wednesday a woman dropped off a box of food and a big bag of homemade peppers.

Last St. Patrick’s Day, Burke’s assistant coordinator Audrey O’Brien, and her husband Dan, donated dog and cat treats for pet owners at the pantry for their dog Jax’s birthday.

Audrey said she has a special reason to volunteer time. “I had cancer. Missions and prayer helped me and I was cured. God wanted me here. He didn’t think my work was done. To give back I volunteer.”

The pantry serves Pittston, Pittston Township, Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Jenkins Township, Laflin, West Pittston, Falls, Harding, Exeter, Exeter Township, Wyoming and West Wyoming.

Under the guidelines, families who fall below 150% of the Federal Government’s poverty rate qualify for assistance.

The Federal Government adjusts the income guidelines each year of the current poverty rate. Household of one and with annual income below $15,315 qualify. Others qualifying are: family of two under $20,535; family of three under $25,755; family of four under $30,975; family of five under $36,195; family of six under $41,415; family of seven under $46,635; and a family of eight under $51,855.

Families who qualify for food from the pantry are asked not to walk-in. Food is distributed by appointment only. Call 654-9923 for an appointment.

Care and Concern also operates a free health clinic and a Kid’s Clothes Closet at the Seton Catholic school site. For more on these programs, also call 654-9923.

PD News

Inspired by a book, pantry serving 50 local families each week

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