Local food pantry gears up for Thanksgiving

Local food pantry gears up for ThanksgivingVolunteers at the Park Terrace Food Pantry in Apalachin sort food items for Thanksgiving baskets. As many as 100 baskets will be distributed this year. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)

A food pantry located within the Park Terrace Community United Methodist Church at 30 Glann Rd. in Apalachin, N.Y. received a generous donation on Nov. 20, and just in time for Thanksgiving.

Apalachin United Methodist Church (AUMC) Treasurer, Don Baumbach, presented a check in the amount of $756.13 to Park Terrace Food Pantry Co-Directors Bonnie Hand and Brenda Cronk.

Cronk explained that the AUMC donation will greatly help the food pantry pull together an estimated 100 Thanksgiving baskets expected to go out to the community.   

Local food pantry gears up for Thanksgiving
From left, Ray Linder, Bonnie Hand, Don Baumbach, Brenda Cronk, Sue Whiting, Norm Davis, Andrea and Dennis Snover, and Larry Brearley gather in the Park Terrace Food Pantry. Apalachin United Methodist Church Treasurer, Don Baumbach, presented Food Pantry Co-Directors Bonnie Hand and Brenda Cronk, along with Food Pantry volunteers, a check to help the pantry’s efforts. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)

The money received represents part of the proceeds from a popular rummage sale recently held at the AUMC. At the sale, customers were asked to give a donation as payment for items purchased, and then placed their donations in jars labeled with area organizations names. The Park Terrace Food Pantry was one of three recipient organizations.  

Karen Powers, administrative assistant at the AUMC remarked, “The Apalachin United Methodist Church cares very much about their outreach to help others.”

Last year, Powers said that proceeds from the AUMC rummage sale went toward flood relief.

Local food pantry gears up for Thanksgiving
Pictured is the entrance to the Park Terrace Food Pantry, located within the Park Terrace Community United Methodist Church at 30 Glann Rd. in Apalachin, N.Y. The food pantry, open to all within the community, is celebrating its 15th year. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)

The Park Terrace Food Pantry is celebrating 15 years in operation this year. A dedicated group of volunteers keeps the pantry active.

A partner agency of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, it is one of several food pantries under the Tioga Opportunities umbrella. The pantry also receives from several other donation sources and has continually increased its reach since 2004, helping as many as 2,500 people yearly, and primarily from Tioga and Broome Counties.  

“This is a community food pantry set up within a geographic area,” Hand shared, and clarified a misconception by some, “Individuals do not need to be a member of the church to come here.”

“We are a ‘need-based’ pantry,” Cronk said, and further explained that individuals do not need to show any kind of proof or income verification.

Individuals can stop by the food pantry Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  For information, call the church at (607) 625-4134 or Brenda Cronk at (607) 725-0017.

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