Circle of Concern - the food pantry and SO MUCH MORE in our area... http://www.circleofconcern.org/ - is in a tough position right now. The community need is overwhelming and not easing up as many thought it would since the pandemic continues to drastically disrupt life on a daily basis for millions of people.
We celebrate that generous neighbors have been sharing from their bounties since March. Retail donations from grocery stores as well as food from restaurants and caterers have slowed to a trickle as their business also feel the adverse effects of this pandemic. This means that Circle is spending more of their dollars purchasing groceries which drains the budget from their other avenues of support for individuals and families in need.
If you look on the Circle website, you may be surprised to see that they aren’t receiving food donations right now even though there are more hungry people than before…
The Circle food warehouse is full due to the generosity of the public AND the fact that the warehouse is small. The need from the community remains high and will go even higher as unemployment and under-employment rates rise, utility costs (ie. heat) continue to go up and as many temporary halts in residential evictions come to an end.
PUCC Challenge - Opportunity - Responsibility:
Help fill the entryway at church so we can bring donations to Circle as soon as their warehouse has room – about two weeks from now. Providing food and personal care items for people will mean that they can use their limited financial resources on housing, utilities, insurance, medicine and more.
While Circle’s Wish List changes all of the time, they know that their staples will likely remain about the same in early 2021…
Non-perishable foods:
canned chicken, canned tuna, canned fruits, canned vegetables, dry potatoes/beans/rice, jelly, pasta sauce, dinner helpers, dry pasta, peanut butter, canned pasta, baking essentials, cereal, condiments.
Personal care items:
toilet paper, body wash, laundry detergent, hand soap, bar soap, dish soap, lotion, razors, deodorant, size 5 and 6 diapers, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies.
Dog and cat food is also needed.
Thank you for helping if you can. It's a holiday version of Jesus Has Left the Building. Our family is splitting up to do a scavenger hunt competition of sorts this weekend. You may want to get creative too!
If you are experiencing food insecurity yourself, or you are having other hardships right now, please let us know. PUCC continues to want to be as supportive as possible to each and every one of you. We have a Care Team that stands ready to put our love for you into action.
