Organization Travels 1,200 miles for Lebanon food pantry
Distance does not matter when feeding the hungry. That’s what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proved this week. On Tuesday, at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, over 34,000 pounds of food items were loaded into a semitruck and then sent east… all the way to Missouri, and ultimately Lebanon. That’s 1,375 cases of food, traveling 1,252 Miles!
The purpose for the long trek was to fulfill the Church’s promise to assist service organizations across the country by supplementing their food pantries and/or community meals. This donation was made possible through the many donations the Church receives and through the efforts of its many volunteers.
The food donations were received at the L-Life Warehouse in Lebanon on Wednesday. They filled the needs of many local food pantries, including: Salvation Army of Lebanon, Free Store Ministry, Crosslines Ministry, Live 2 Give Hope, L-Life Food Pantry, and Isaiah 58:7 Mission Food Pantry.
The Salvation Army provides help to an average of 820 people a month in the Lebanon area. “This donation will help us help these people that we serve,” explained Sue Watson from the Salvation Army. “There are so many people that don’t have food, including seniors, families, and single parents. This will help them with food so they can pay their rent. We like to partner with the other local non-profits. Working together makes a good community. We just want the community to know we care.”
Wednesday’s delivery included staples like rice, beans, potatoes, cream of chicken soup, and canned vegetables.
Picking up the food donation for Live 2 Give Hope was Laura Gartin. “We appreciate this donation so very much. Over half of our families are grandparents raising grandkids with little or no help. Support like this not only boosts them physically, but also their morale. Thank you!”
In an effort to connect with local service organizations, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created JustServe, a free service that links community needs with local volunteers. Anyone is welcome to join the volunteer effort through this service. Local JustServe coordinator, Victoria Lloyd, greeted the truck driver who arrived with the food early Wednesday morning. Groups of JustServe volunteers came in shifts throughout the day, to help sort and load the food on to pallets for pick-up.
Found loading up boxes of food was Alex Lloyd, a JustServe volunteer from the LDS Church. When asked what motivates him to volunteer, he explained, “We are all fellow members of the human race—we are all God’s children, and it’s important that we give back because of what we have been given. Some are less fortunate; some are more fortunate. Those that are more, need to be willing to give of their time and talents to help their fellowmen.
Dean Barker, from L-life, gave all the volunteers a tour of the facility, explaining how L-life partners with other local businesses and non-profits to meet the needs of those who are suffering. “It’s great to see an organization like JustServe, whose mission is to help and serve others, actually out in the community practicing what they preach,” said Barker. “I’ve never seen an organization of this size in our community, reach out to help like this. It’s challenging to get volunteers in the non-profit world, and without volunteers, L-life doesn’t happen. We hope this is just the start of a partnership to work together on consistent future projects.”
JustServe researches organizations, finds service projects, coordinates schedules, and brings local service projects to your fingertips. Visit the JustServe.org website or download the app to join a community of volunteers who are already changing the world.
