Carrabelle Food Pantry Seeks Donations

            Carrabelle's new Food Pantry, located at the Carrabelle United Methodist Church, is asking for help in providing food for the poor in our community.

            In recent weeks, the cash reserve of the group has fallen below the minimum required to pay for a week's worth of food. A few generous donors came forth to help and the pantry will receive $5,600 from the city of Carrabelle some time in October, but right now, the pantry only has sufficient funds for about two weeks.

            The Food Panty, operating in Carrabelle for the past several years, has been a part of the Franklin County Food Pantry run by the Franklin's Promise Coalition .Carrabelle volunteers must go to Tallahassee and Apalachicola each week to get the food, which they then bag up locally and hand out to Carrabelle neighbors at the church.

            In July, a new organization, the Carrabelle Food Pantry, was formed. A board of directors was elected and a bank account opened with just $700 from personal donations. The Board of Directors includes Pastor Julie Stephens, Cindy Neel, Tamara Allen, Bessie Robison, Mary Claire Lovell, Franklin and Myrtice Corley, Dan Rosier, Zeke Corley and Pastor Mark Collins.

            The Carrabelle Food Pantry is now certified by the Second Harvest of the Big Bend as a host agency, which entitles the organization to purchase whatever food is available from Second Harvest for 18 cents per pound. This past year, food was given to 149 families in the Carrabelle community who qualify under the United States Department of Agriculture income guidelines. Then pantry was able to feed 816 people, including 259 under 18 years of age. The need continues to increase for supplementary food as the economy turns down and the price of gas goes up.

            Last year, $15,000, or more than $1,000 per month, was spent on food given out to Carrabelle residents. The pantry was supported by the city of Carrabelle and the county last year, as well as by donations received from members of the Carrabelle United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and Fellowship Baptist Church, Gulf State Community Bank and private individuals.

            The pantry is seeking new and ongoing donations to feed the hungry people of the community every week and especially throughout the upcoming holidays. The pantry needs financial help, as well as someone with a large, closed-in van or truck to make the round-trip to Tallahassee early every other Monday morning. Then pantry is committed to ensure no Carrabelle area resident goes to bed hungry at night.

            Please make your tax-deductible checks payable to the Carrabelle Food Pantry. You may drop them off at the Gulf State Community Bank or the Methodist Church in Carrabelle or mail them to the Carrabelle Food Pantry, 1810 Lighthouse Road, Carrabelle, FL 32322.