Valley food pantry gets help filling shelves

Peg McAlister, Platte Valley Food Pantry volunteer, was flabbergasted when Susan Speer, with the Carbon County Board of Realtors, presented her with a $500 check Friday.

“Am I reading that right?” McAlister asked Speer.

The donation from the realtors will make Christmas better for people who may otherwise not have had a merry Christmas.

McAlister is expecting a shipment of hams, ordered through Valley Foods, to come in for Christmas.

The food pantry also orders from Food Bank of Wyoming, out of Casper.

For Thanksgiving, McAlister purchased turkeys from Valley Foods.

Tim (Lamprecht, Valley Foods owner) is so good to us and gives us a good price,” McAlister said.

Just a week after Thanksgiving, the shelves are looking a little bare, but the floor is lined with donations waiting to be put away.

McAlister has food boxes ready for the weekend for families who need a little extra help.

For one or two people, a box consists of cereal, vegetables, fruits, two soups, a can of beans, either rice, spaghetti and sauce or Hamburger Helper, meat, peanut butter, crackers, cookies, chips, catsup, salad oil or dressing, two paper products, treats and popcorn.

If the size of the family is larger, the amount of staples increase to meet the extra need.

Last year, McAlister was afraid they were going to have to close down because donations were low.

“The community stepped in and helped us,” McAlister said. “This is a great community for things like that.”

Volunteers like McAlister help operate the food pantry, which is provided space rent-free by Valle and Elva Evans.

McAlister said having the food pantry available helps families with other bills. If they don’t spend money on the groceries, it frees up money to pay rent and utilities.

The pantry also has a shop-on-your-own shelf with donated items the pantry is not allowed to put in the food boxes, like acne cream, baby food, vaseline, Tylenol and other items.

The food pantry is open the first Tuesday of every month, from 4-5:30 p.m., and the second Saturday of every month, from 10-11:30 a.m.

To donate to the food pantry, bring the food down during their regular hours, call McAlister at 326-5838 or drop it off at one of the Valley’s churches.

Monetary donations can be mailed to the Ministerial Association in care of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church at PO Box 250, Saratoga, WY 82331.

The food pantry is located at 112 E. Bridge Street, Suite E.

For more information about the food pantry, call Pastor Gene Smith at 326-5520.