Something to digest

The Platte Valley Ministerial Association is hosting a Beans and Rice Banquet on Tuesday, October 12 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall of St. Ann’s Church.  The dinner is a fundraising event for the Saratoga Food Pantry.  Admission is by donation.

In addition to raising funds to support the work of the Food Pantry, a goal of serving a dinner of beans, rice, and lentils is to make people aware of the diets of poor people worldwide.  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2020 report, nearly nine percent of the world’s population is hungry—and that figure has increased rapidly in only five years.  In addition, nearly one in ten people in the world experiences food insecurity.  

Good nutrition also is a challenge for impoverished people throughout the world.  Healthy diets are unaffordable for the poor.  According to the FAO, “around 57 percent or more of the population cannot afford a healthy diet throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.” A large percentage of the world’s population subsists on rice or on beans and rice, which do not provide adequate nutrition.

In the North Platte Valley, purchasing food for a healthy diet is a challenge for many people.  The Saratoga Food Pantry provides food boxes for families and individuals experiencing food insecurity.  The boxes include a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruit, beans, rice, pasta, and canned and frozen meat.  Vouchers for fresh produce and dairy products also are included in the boxes.

Anyone who needs food is welcome to visit the Food Pantry for assistance.  Wanda Snell, the Food Pantry Chair, estimates that the Pantry serves about 12 to 15 families per month.  

The Food Pantry is open on the first Tuesday of the month from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 10:00-11:30 a.m.  For emergency needs, people may call their own pastor or Pastor Gene Smith of the Platte Valley Christian Center at (307) 326-5520.  The Food Pantry is located at 112 E. Bridge Ave., Suite E.