St. Andrew’s United Church, Yorkton, SK

“Stop-Gap Food Shelf”

Every Friday afternoon between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00, volunteers atSt. Andrew’s United Church in Yorkton open its doors and welcomes the food-insecure in our community. After signing in the individuals can choose groceries from our food shelf to fill a shopping bag. Each individual is welcomed to use the shelf once a month to fill one bag with their choice of groceries and personal hygiene items (when available.) They are also invited to have coffee, a muffin and a visit with Reverend Jen.

Most weeks we welcome twelve to fifteen individuals who feed twenty-fiveto forty people. Lately, we are seeing an increased number of people asking for assistance, notably younger, single men and families.

The Food Shelf depends on donations of non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items from members of the congregation as well as monetary donations from congregants and individuals from the community at large.

Approximately once per month a “big shop” is done in order to keep the shelf stocked. The most popular items are:

• Canned meat (tuna, salmon, ham, turkey, luncheon meat, )
• Canned vegetables, soups and fruit
• Soda crackers
• Pasta and sauce
• Instant potatoes and noodles, Kraft Dinner
• Peanut butter
• Pancake mix and syrup
• Healthy boxed cereals
• Instant oatmeal packets
• 1 liter apple juice and juice boxes (apple, orange, )
• Granola bars
• Fruit/pudding cups
• Staples: sugar, powdered milk, tea bags, instant coffee, rice, flour
• Toilet paper and tissues
• Tooth brushes & tooth paste
• Shampoo and hand soap, lotion
•  

Volunteers from the congregation and the youth group put together healthy drysoup mixes that make big pots of nutritious soup. These are very popular with the users of the food shelf. The ingredients are donated or purchased with donated funds. When our stock of mixes is running low, a bee is organized to put togethernew packets. It’s a time of work, fun and fellowship enjoyed by all participants.

We also are part of the food sharing network in Yorkton and have benefitted from donations from the provincial branch of Second Harvest. When it is time to harvest gardens, people often bring in surplus vegetables and fruit for us to offerto our clients. This always brings smiles to the faces of people who do not have access to fresh produce. One of our donors often brings fresh farm eggs. This supplies a much-needed source of protein.

On behalf of the people who depend upon the “Stop-Gap Food Shelf” and the volunteers of St. Andrew’s United Church, we are very grateful for your donations whether they are non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items or money. It is a wonderful way to reach out to our community as a helping hand in the spirit of inclusivity and social justice. United Church people are a very caring and sharing people and your donations prove that.