Jill's Journal" Because there is a need

Because there is a need.

That was – and continues to be ¬– the sole reason the Brandon Area Food Pantry was established 15 years ago.

This Friday, BAFP Executive Director and the all-volunteer staff invite the public to step inside the doors to see firsthand how the Pantry operates and learn why it’s important to continue to donate to the community cause.

The open house is from 4-6 p.m.

I well remember when Linda Weber and others were organizing the Pantry. Their first need was space.

And the City of Brandon stepped up to fill that need. They offered – free of charge – up the room that houses the city engineering staff today. That office is located in the building where city council meetings are held. The also had some storage in a former bay area of the building which once housed the local volunteer fire department.

The Pantry quickly out-grew the space. The need, you see, was continuing to grow, and this space provided little to no opportunity to do that.

Just down the street sat a vacant building, that with a little bit of spit shine and some added elements to shelf food for shoppers, the city once again stepped up to fill the growing need.

I remember the day the Pantry moved “just down the street” to its current location. Volunteers of all ages showed up to relocate cans of beans and soup, boxes of cereal and jars of mayonnaise. The volunteers were plentiful that day. Kids. Teens. Adults. Business owners. Clergy. Members of civic organizations.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a line that extended from one location to the other and passed boxes and boxes from one to another.

Within hours, the job was done.

Then came more needs.

Freezers and refrigerators were needed. Shelving.

And once again, this community of givers did just that. They gave. Because they knew there was a need.

The Pantry’s board of directors soon organized an annual dinner. While one purpose is to raise money for the Food Pantry, the other purpose to recognize the contributions of individuals, families and businesses that allow the Pantry to continue to fill the need.

Each time I sit down with Linda to write a story about the BAFP, the overlying message remains the same: Because there is a need.