Church volunteers man the food pantry at Hatfield Church of the Brethren on Cowpath Road in Hatfield. (Photos by Don and Annette Hanks)
The Hatfield Church of the Brethren food pantry began operating in about 1995
(The following news release was submitted verbatim by Robin McMahon)
When my family and I walked into Hatfield Church of the Brethren for the first time in the early 1990s, one of the individuals who greeted us was Beulah Shisler, a lifetime member of the congregation. I remember this clearly because Beulah was the only other person named ‘Beulah’ that I had ever met, with the exception of my mother.
It was an old-fashioned name, but Beulah Shisler was not an old-fashioned woman. She had been actively involved in many aspects of Brethren ministry over the years, even travelling to other countries to share her beliefs. A few years later, Beulah would be working with Dale Hylton, our pastor at the time, to open a food pantry for food insecure individuals and their families. That food pantry still exists today and continues to be run from the sanctuary of the church.
The Hatfield Church of the Brethren food pantry began operating in about 1995, and like most other food pantries of the day, prepared bags of canned goods, dry foods and other products in advance and distributed them to the clients that came for assistance.
Over the years, as the backgrounds and needs of the clientele diversified, it became clear that this system for helping folks needed to evolve. Not everyone liked the food being provided, and certainly, there were products like pork that would not be eaten because of religious or cultural beliefs.
The decision was made to eliminate the pre-packaged bags and allow families the ability to shop, choosing the foods that they could use. Shopping carts were purchased, and an area of the sanctuary was used to stock canned goods and other shelf stable products. Refrigerators and freezers had been in use, but even more were needed. These changes have allowed the church to serve food pantry clients in way that more adequately meets their needs.
Today, the food pantry continues to provide food assistance to those in need. HCOB is a small congregation, so this has become an “all hands on deck” operation. We are fortunate to have many volunteers assisting on the days the food pantry is open, but the need for food and financial assistance continues to increase. The food pantry is open four times monthly and has typically been serving 30+ families each day. Because of recent governmental cuts, the most recent food pantry distribution saw the number of clients jump to almost 50 families. In October the food pantry served 180 families, up from 135 in August. It is expected that the number of families needing assistance will continue to go up.
The need is great and continues to increase. While we are fortunate to have so many volunteers, we are facing food shortages. These shortages can be alleviated with food or financial donations made directly to the food pantry. The most desirable food items include canned corn, pasta products, canned tuna in oil, canned salmon, canned chicken, sweetened cereal, canned mandarin oranges, canned mango, all types of nuts and dried fruits. Other desirable food donations include produce, eggs, butter, cheese, fish, beef and poultry, all items not provided by the state. These are purchased based on available monetary donations, need, the timing of the food pantry openings and storage availability to assure freshness.
While food donations are always welcome, financial donations will support purchase of specific products as they are needed.
It’s been approximately thirty years since the HCOB food pantry was started and Beulah Shisler has been gone for years, but there will always be a need and the work goes on.
If you have any questions or would like to make a donation, please contact Don and Annette Hanks at [email protected].
