Food pantry ready to help: ‘If they show up we will feed them’

Published 11:50 am Friday, June 26, 2020

The Storehouse Community Food Pantry once again needs the community’s help.

But it’s different this time.

“We don’t need money and we don’t need donations of food. What we need are people to come to the food pantry seeking food assistance,” Bill Mounger, Storehouse Community Food Pantry president, said.

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Since re-opening its doors in May, after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of clients who generally receive services from the pantry has declined.

Mounger said he did not want to speculate as to why people are not coming to the food pantry because all he really knows for sure is they are not coming.

“On Monday, only two clients showed up for assistance,” Mounger said, leaving those who volunteer with not much to do. “Our volunteers would much rather be busy than sitting around with nothing to do.”

Therefore, Mounger is asking everyone to spread the word the food pantry is open and ready to serve.

While most of the food items at the pantry are non-perishable goods, Mounger said, they have been concerned about some of the fresh produce they receive.

“We try not to throw out the food. We try to give it to someone else,” he said. “Kroger was giving us a lot of fruit that we had to get out or it would spoil.”

Mounger said there is no screening process clients have to go through in order to receive food.

“If they show up we will feed them,” Mounger said. ” The only information we ask for is a Social Security Card and a picture I.D.”

The Storehouse Community Food Pantry is located at the site of the Good Shepherd Center on Cherry Street. Operating hours are from 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

If anyone has questions or needs more information about the food pantry, call 601-642-0636 or 601-497-1714.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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