Posted on December 6, 2018.
By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The word has spread throughout Millington that there was a need at the Millington Food Pantry located on the campus of First United Methodist Church located at 8029 Wilkinsville Road.
There has been an outpouring of support and donations for the organization which is a branch of the Mid-South Food Bank serving the 38053 zip code. The Millington Food Pantry is ran by volunteers opened on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon by appointment only. The director of the Food Pantry is Gail DeLancey with other volunteers Joy Almond, Ann Heeltz, Linda Saig, Paul McCullough, Jim McKee, Dick Barnhart, Charles Pack, Diana Needham, Roger Thompson, Sammie Kyle, Ann Goin, Ray Walters and Roger Thompson.
The group of volunteers is non-dimensional based with representation from several area churches like FUMC, First Baptist, St. Ann’s and the Millington Church of Christ. Thompson said all the churches have individual programs that assist the Food Pantry like FUMC’s Backpack Program.
The Backpack Program targets Millington youth who might not have nutritious food to eat outside of school on the weekend. Donations are given to programs like that and the Food Pantry throughout the year.
One of the biggest donations comes during the spring in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service’s Stamp Out Hunger Campaign. Earlier this year, the USPS donated 1,550 pounds of food to the Food Pantry.
Other donations are received from the USDA and local donors. Companies like Kroger donate food from the mark down sections. A church in Collierville gives large quantities of fruit to the Food Pantry.
One local man brings boxes of sweet potatoes. Other Millington contributions comes from initities like St. Ann’s Church food drive, the Millington YMCA food drive, Millington Municipal Schools donations and NSA Mid-South.
“The Food Pantry can literally take $10 and buy $60 or $70 worth of food with that donation,” Thompson noted. “Monetary donations are even better.”
Earlier this holiday season, the Millington Food Pantry released a letter through the Millington Area Chamber of Commerce to bring awareness for the need for donations.
Dear Community,
On average, the Millington community food pantry serves about 3,500 hungry people in need each year, in large measure thanks to the generosity of folks like you.
It’s a ministry that’s been a part of our community for more than 30 years, lending a helping hand to families in need. As the holiday season approaches, it’s a time of year when the needs of many in our community living on the margins are more keenly felt.
We’re writing to ask for you help as we plan to distribute approximately 75-100 Christmas food baskets to ensure those most in need in our city will be able to share in the spirit of the season with a holiday meal with their families.
If you are able to help us with a donation for the Christmas food baskets, or to help the food pantry get a jump start by being well stocked as we begin the new year in 2019, make a check payable to Millington First United Methodist Church and note “food pantry” on the memo line of the check.
Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of those in our community struggling to make ends meet. And as always, we hope you remember that each item of food that is given is a blessing from God that began with people like you.
Sincerely,
The Millington Food Pantry
“We served in excess of 6,000 meals last year for families in need,” Thompson concluded. “On a given day like today, we had seven families come in. We had one family of seven. We had one family with three in the household and an income of 1,100 a month. No money, but they need food. This is an emergency food pantry.”
The Millington Food Pantry is located at 8029 Wilkinsville Road and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and on Wednesday evenings by appointment only. For assistance with food and to check to see if you qualify, contact the Pantry during business hours at 872-2771 to schedule an appointment.
Go to: Millington-News.com
