The Good News • December 2008

Red Door Pantry

Our St. John's Red Door Pantry held its first official food give-away day on Sunday, October 26. It was in every aspect a successful start-up. Thanks to our traditional St. John's Parish generosity, we stuffed 96 bags of non-perishable food items and gave away 93 that morning. The Pantry had warned our Red Door Café (Sunday Lunch/Soup Kitchen) cooks that they might be faced with more guests than usual and sure enough they served 127 that day (they generally average about 100). These numbers plus continuing high retail food prices are strong proof of the growing need in our Valley.

Following that amazing start-up, the Red Door Café and Pantry committees met and drafted a proposal to be presented to the Vestry. The proposal requested that our Red Door Pantry give food away (on a day to be determined) in the last week of every month and that the week-day 'door bell' distribution of free food be discontinued. The Vestry, in its November meeting, agreed to the one day a month request but directed the Pantry committee to continue the week-day 'door bell' distribution on an 'as needed basis' and at the discretion of our staff. Also the Vestry asked everyone to regard the Red Door Pantry effort as a Parish labor of love that is evolving, learning and developing step by step. Stay tuned.

We thank everyone who has been so generous in donating food, funds, time and energy to get the Pantry underway. On-going gifts of food are absolutely necessary, so bring a full bag or two to church on Sunday. And if you wish to work in the Pantry (shelving, bagging or distributing), call the church office and leave your name, phone and email then we'll put you to work serving our hungry neighbors.

Gratefully,

The Red Door Pantry Committee