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COLUMBUS — On behalf of the board of directors of the Columbus Food Pantry, thank you to all of our donors for your generous support of your local food pantry. 2022 was another challenging year for all of us amidst the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with inflation. Thanks to the considerate donations of friends like you, the Columbus Food Pantry was able to fill the gap for many families in our community.
All board members and food pantry workers are volunteers. Every dollar given to the Columbus Food Pantry is used to meet the direct needs of the Pantry in its service to the community. We rely solely on the generosity of the community in both the giving of monetary donations and time.
Operational and Financial Highlights of 2022 During 2022, we provided food to an average of 227 households a month with the highest month being 285; this was a 6% increase over the 213 households a month we averaged during 2021. We averaged 192 households a month in 2020. We served an average of 691 people each month, with the highest month being 914 people. The numbers steadily increased as the year progressed.
In addition to cash donations, we received donations of food product from our local-area grocery stores and Walmart. We also were the beneficiary of several food drives at local area schools, churches, and community events.
We continued to augment the monthly food bags for most of the year to include fresh vegetables, eggs, and more meat, including turkeys in November and hams in December. A couple of months we were able to add a third bag of staple items. But we also had to start cutting back near the end of the year as prices rose on certain items, like eggs, which quadrupled in price.
On average, we spent approximately $4,967 per month in 2022 on food purchases, up from $4,500 per month in 2021 and $3,000 in 2020.
Board-Initiative Highlights from 2022 Partnered with the counselor at the Columbus Junior High for the 20222023 to continue to provide snacks and meal assistance for at-risk students (see more details below) On occasion we were able to procure baby products (diapers, wipes, toys, food) from the food bank that we passed on to other nonprofit groups to distribute to those in need.
Looking Forward to 2023 We look forward to continuing our work in 2023 to raise community awareness of the Columbus Food Pantry and the purpose it serves.
We continued to supply the Columbus Junior High to help stock a “food closet” that the counselor can use to assist food insecure students. These are simple, kid friendly options that don’t require additional ingredients and can be eaten as is. A few items can be heated in a microwave if the student has access to one on the weekends. Other CISD campuses have expressed they do not have a need or the need has been met.
While we appreciate all donations, we do ask that if you are considering giving to the food pantry or organizing a fundraiser on our behalf that you consider giving monetarily. Any food product that is donated must be inspected by our trained volunteers to make sure it is not expired and meets the food labeling requirements. Did you know that a $1 donation can purchase 5 pounds of food? For these reasons, we do encourage monetary giving over product donation, when possible, so we can maximize efficiencies with volunteer staff and the purchasing power of your donation.
If you have questions about the food pantry operations, please contact us at 979-500-4292 or via email at columbusfoodpantry@ gmail.com. Please also follow us on Facebook where we post reminders and information at facebook. com/nobodyhungry.
We continue to see an increased demand on our services as well as increasing prices on food. As always, we thank the community for your charitable support and hope that you will consider the food pantry in your giving in 2023.
