Honesdale. Pop Up Food Pantry for those in need or willing to donate
| 15 May 2023 | 04:47
WMCHC staff (l-r) Chief Development Officer Erica Brown; Administrative Assistant Katelyn Haytko; Clinical Care Coordinator Michelle Corrigan, RN; Mead; Davis; Billing Supervisor Jennifer Roberts-Veina; Information Systems Manager Frank Beier; Human Resources Generalist Patty Alfredson; Human Resources Coordinator Victoria Purdy; and Rob Bivens/Wayne County.
Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers’ (WMCHC) Outreach and Enrollment office is now a Pop Up Food Pantry.
Open from 12 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, both those in need of food and those wishing to donate non-perishable grocery items may visit.
Outreach and Enrollment Coordinators Rebecca Mead and Kyle Davis reached out to the Wayne County Food Pantry out of concern for people their office assists with health insurance. The first shipment of 40 boxes of non-perishable food was delivered to the office in late April for people who express a dire need for basic foods. There are no income requirements or guidelines.
“Some of these people don’t have even the most basic products for daily living,” Mead said. “It breaks your heart, and we just want to do whatever we can to help.” Mead and Davis accept referrals from Wayne Memorial Hospital and WMCHC offices when immediate needs are detected.
“Our Pop Up pantry is open to all, you don’t have to be one of our clients,” Mead added. “But if someone shows up who needs our help, we stand ready.”
Each food box includes about 25 pounds of shelf-stable pantry items such as macaroni, soups, cans of vegetables, tuna, chicken, and more. They were all donated by community members.
The Pop Up Pantry is a cooperative effort with Wayne County and the Second Harvest Food Bank. Additional support is provided by several partner agencies and organizations including Wayne Tomorrow!, The Cooperage Project, Agrolegacy, the Honesdale Jaycees, Wayne Memorial Hospital and The Wayne County Community Foundation.
In addition to health insurance, the office assists with registration for LIHeap (energy assistance), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicare Savings Programs.
The Pop Up Food Pantry is located at 630 Park St. in Honesdale. The Outreach and Enrollment staff noted that, due to occasional scheduling conflicts and holidays, Food Pantry hours may vary. Calling 570-251-6569 or 570-251-6554 to verify is encouraged.