Columbus Food Pantry recaps 2024

The Columbus Food Pantry continued to service the food challenged citizens of Columbus and surrounding areas in Colorado County in 2024. The food pantry is aware that they serve several households that cannot survive without their services. However, for the most part, the food pantry’s goal is to supplement the needs of their clients: help them become independent and not create a dependency.

Total households served in 2024 were 558 making a total of 1,886 individuals. There was an average of five monthly visits per household, while 17 households received services every month, about 3% of the households served. That percentage is down from 2023 by 2%. The average household served per month was 242 and the average number of individuals served per month was 796.

The Columbus Food Pantry continues to augment the monthly food bags for most of the year to include fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs and more meat, including HEB vouchers for holiday meat and produce in November.

Financially, the Columbus Food Pantry was able to stay within their food budget of $45,750 in 2024. Their total cost of food was $39,550. The total expense last year was $39,000. With inflation calculated, the increased food expense was only $1,500.

Grants were received from both corporate and private foundations. The individual donor base expanded, and in addition to cash donations, the food pantry received donations of food products from HEB, Brookshire Brothers and Walmart. They were also the beneficiary of several food drives at local area schools, churches and community events.

The Columbus Food Pantry shares that volunteers donated countless hours that they cannot begin to place a value on. In-kind donors donated items that helped with special circumstances that arose throughout the year, another value that is priceless.

We look forward to continuing our work in 2025 to raise community awareness of the Columbus Food Pantry and the purpose it serves. The Columbus Food Pantry is a 501 © (3) nonprofit corporation. Its mission is community churches working together to eliminate hunger. For more information, please visit www.columbusfoodpantry.

org.