For quite awhile, I have been volunteering at the Hope Chest Food Pantry at the Lacey United Methodist Church in Forked River, New Jersey. While I volunteer with other missions at the church, this one has to be one of the most rewarding. This pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. After signing up, there is no restriction on the amount of times you can come and pick up food.
The variety of food that is available varies from week to week. In the freezer alone, we have offered ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, pork taco filling, pork chops, chicken pieces, pizzas, TV dinners, green beans, strawberries, cod, catfish and salmon, among other things. In the refrigerator, we have sometimes offered eggs, cheeses, milk, butter and orange juice. Canned soups are on hand, as well as a variety of canned fruit and vegetables. Canned tuna and boxed cereal are also very popular items.
With the rising prices in the supermarket, everyone can use a little help. What really saddens me is the increasing homeless population, who are also a big part of our visitors. I have gotten to know many of our visitors and some of them even give back by volunteering for some of our missions. Many people are just one paycheck away from being homeless. Unfortunately, many of these people are looked down upon by society, but they have all become homeless for many various reasons. This is an area where judgement needs to take a back seat and opportunities need to be created to help these people pull themselves out of their situation. It makes me feel good that these people can leave with some sort of nourishment after visiting us.