Getting Frosty at The Pantry
By Tracy Smith
Who knew a good shiver in August could make such a difference in the effectiveness of The Food Pantry at Central?
Food insecurity is a real issue. Even as the worst of the COVID pandemic is over, The Pantry continues to distribute nutritious groceries to over 700 families every week, and there’s no sign of letup! As temperatures reach into the high 90s with 100% humidity threatening our ability to address food insecurity in Mobile’s food deserts, a new walk-in cooler/freezer combo is putting a damper on the heatwave. Purchased through a generous grant from the J. L. Bedsole Foundation, the installation of the walk-in is an important step in creating a more enduring impact on our community.
The vast majority of foundations and granting agencies fund projects that increase the self-sustainability of a cause. While paying for food outright may help families at the moment, fortifying infrastructure helps lower operating costs and reduce the burden on volunteers; both of which create a multiplying effect on the grant’s impact.
“The new freezer/fridge space will help lower our overhead cost of food by allowing us the flexibility to receive more perishable and frozen food as it becomes available,” The Pantry director, Connie Guggenbiller, explains. “Right now we have to turn down opportunities for those items due to storage space. Not only will we be able to store more, but we’ll also save time since volunteers will simply be able to roll pallets into the storage units instead of spending hours loading individual items into our current coolers, then repacking them Tuesday morning for distribution.”
We want your input as we continue to find ways to partner with organizations and foundations to build out and streamline the providing of essential food and community services. We are able to continue to provide fresh and nutritious groceries to the families and elderly in our community who are food-insecure with the help of our amazing partners, donors, and volunteers.
Do You live in a Food Desert?
Thousands of Mobilians have limited access to reliable transportation and live more than a mile
away from any source of nutritious groceries. These food deserts contribute to higher rates of
diabetes, heart disease, and other preventable diseases resulting in premature death.
The USDA uses three indicators to determine if an area is a food desert.
- Accessibility: How many sources of nutritious food are nearby?
- Individual barriers: Does a person’s schedule, lack of money, or not having a car prevent
them from getting nutritious food? - Neighborhood indicators: Is public transportation abundant and reliable? How much of the
neighborhood is at or below the poverty line?
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