The First Baptist Church of Moorestown (FBCM) will hold a food drive in the church’s parking lot on Saturday, July 27, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Pantry volunteers will be in the church parking lot to collect contributions and provide receipts for tax purposes.
A list of items needed include breakfast items – shelf-stable milk, dry cereal, pancake mix, syrup; protein items – canned chicken, canned tuna, spam, Vienna sausage, sardines, salmon, peanut butter; dinner items – pasta, sauce, chicken helper/tuna helper, rice/prepared rice side dishes, canned spaghetti; canned or jarred fruit – applesauce, fruit cocktail, pineapple, etc.; and personal hygiene items – soap, deodorant, toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, child and adult diapers (all sizes) and feminine hygiene products.
“It’s not just food… It’s toiletries, diapers, things like that,” said FBCM member and pantry volunteer Geoff McClain. “Dog food, cat food, things like that are welcome too and very much needed.”
FBCM’s pantry is currently helping to feed 250 to 300 individuals a week. Of that weekly average, approximately 75 are children and 50 are seniors. The pantry’s hours of operation are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“It’s super important just because you can see how many people we have,” McClain said of the drive. “There’s just a need for replenishing our stock. We get our food and things from different sources but there’s always a need.”
Donations can be delivered to the church on Tuesday and Thursday weekly between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. There is also a tub by the parking lot door where non-perishable goods can be placed.
“I appreciate it especially because I just feel like the church really walks the walk,” McClain said. ” … We’re just simply helping people… And this is very unique because we’re almost like a social club. Many of the food pantries, they just hand you a box, you drive through, and they hand you a box. Here, they (clients) come in, they have coffee and snacks and people sit around and talk, and that’s a big difference between this and many other pantries.”
FBCM’s food pantry began as a small folding table holding a few non-perishable items in the lounge of the church. Since then, it has grown into a multi-room operation, according to the church’s website. Its dedicated volunteer staff work tirelessly collecting donations, stocking and restocking shelves and greeting guests each week.
“We don’t just give food to our clients, we feed them in other ways also,” McClain said. “We talk to them, and we become friends. We treat them with the respect and dignity they all deserve without exception.
“Many of them have had a tough time, but I’ve never yet met a client that I couldn’t find something good to say about them.”
