Demopolis Food Pantry gave out bags of food to about 200 residents on Wednesday, which organizers said is a higher number than usual and can be linked to the increased need after the loss of SNAP benefits.
Pantry volunteers also signed up 10 new people asking for food assistance. Rev. Evan Thayer, rector for Trinity Episcopal that oversees Demopolis Food Pantry, said that is unusual considering they usually don’t have new folks.
More than 750,000 Alabamians lost federal food benefits on Nov. 1 as the government shutdown continues into a second month, which has prompted many food giveaway agencies to increase efforts as a stop gap.
Thayer said Demopolis Food Pantry has gotten many calls from churches and businesses wanting to help. The Demopolis City Council gave $5,000 to the pantry on Monday. On Wednesday, Robertson Bank brought a check for $500. Thayer said the funds will go toward buying more food to supplement inventory that will get depleted by the increased need.
Thayer is meeting next week with Brasfield & Gorrie, which is building the expanded Highway 43, about providing a Thanksgiving dinner to those in need. And s representative from First United Methodist came on Wednesday morning to volunteer and discuss partnering with a food drive they are conducting.
The Demopolis Food Pantry opened in 1987 and first operated out of Trinity Episcopal’s parish. It moved across the street into the Jewish Temple B’nai Jeshurun building in 1989 after it closed.
The pantry has a tried-and-true group of about 10 volunteers that come every Wednesday morning and do their respective roles of packing the paper sacks with canned goods or frozen meats or handle the intake of residents in need who have to fill out paperwork for help and get counted each week.
Jimmy Mackin comes with his wife Joy every week and “pops bags,” meaning he opens the paper sacks for the packers to fill. It’s a familiar gig for him, considering he was a bag boy as a teen at Delchamps when it was located in downtown Selma.
“I didn’t know it was my life calling,” he joked.
Volunteer Bill Arrington said most work the giveaway days for years until they age out of it.
“Most don’t quit until they can’t physically do it anymore,” he said.
The last several years, the volunteers have been driven by a burst of young energy with Drew Cargile, who joined with his mom to help out and has since made structural improvements to the building like adding shelves for the canned goods and replacing the lights.
They also have some teenagers coming each week. Marengo County Commissioner Jason Windham brings his son Reed and his friend William Michael Copeland to enjoy the feel of giving back.
Windham said his son was sad after the assassination of Charlie Kirk in September and said he didn’t “understand why there was so much bad in world,” so he brought him to the pantry to get involved in his community.
Reed looks forward to it each week and can’t wait to return.
Trinity Episcopal is doing more than overseeing the food bank. They got a $10,000 grant from Daniel Foundation to conduct a community needs assessment and will be interviewing residents and leaders in mental health, healthcare, law enforcement and more to learn priorities for Marengo County and where to fill gaps.
“It is good for us to coordinate with others doing good things in the community,” Thayer said.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.