25
May '22

The Little Free Pantry That Could

Posted on May 25, 2022 in HTLChronicles | 1810

25
May '22
A woman takes a package of diapers for her crying infant. A young student rides his bike to pick out some food for his family. Small, wooden shelters on the south side of Holy Trinity’s building are making a big impact in our community.
 

The original Little Free Pantry

A Little Free Pantry is Born
 
Holy Trinity’s Free Little Food Pantry was built in 2018 by Facilities Manager, Jon Bergquist at the request of the eight person Mission Outreach Team. The idea was brought to the team as a member had seen it in another town. “The Little Free Pantry is an emergency pantry, not a food shelf,” reports Liz Nelson, HTLC’s Pantry Coordinator. The pantry serves many purposes – for those who want to give and for those who need to receive. “The location of the pantry gives the users anonymity and privacy.” Liz also volunteers her time at the New Prague Peace Center and says, “there can be unintentional stigma on users of the Peace Center. People like the anonymity of the Little Free Pantries.”
 
One More 
 
 

The Little Free Pantry for household items

Liz Nelson fills the Little Free Food Pantry

In 2019, Holy Trinity unveiled its new Vision, Mission and Values and with that, came a renewed energy to the Mission Outreach Team. The team is responsible for overseeing the generosity of the congregation which includes giving away 10% (a tithe) of all church offerings. The team decides which organizations will receive funds based on requests they accept. After the first Little Free Pantry was built, it was evident that one was not enough, so an additional pantry was built to hold household items, such as personal hygiene items, diapers, and household supplies. While the Mission Outreach team accepts many donations of food and household items, they also use part of the congregational tithe to purchase non-perishable items. “Winter is always a problem as we are limited to items that can handle the freezing temperatures. Because of the weather, it is necessary for us to purchase more items in the winter months to keep the pantry filled,” states Liz. Any donated food/item that is not tolerant of the weather conditions is held in the Mission Outreach storage room and put out at the appropriate time by Liz or the team of volunteers.
 
Abundant Blessings
 

Brody D., one of many Confirmation students committed to serving New Prague families, fills the pantry earlier this month.

Liz Nelson is no stranger to spending time at a church. For over twenty years, she was the Director of Early Childhood Ministry at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran in Plymouth. Fresh off her retirement in 2018, she joined the HTLC Mission Outreach Team and became the Little Free Pantry Coordinator. Rain, snow or shine, she checks on the pantries three times a week and spends up to an hour each visit organizing donations or restocking the pantry. The biggest blessing she has witnessed is “meeting the needs of many families. The needs for many families are huge and the ones I’ve met are so grateful. Some of the families have shared their stories with me, and it’s unbelievable the many challenges they face.” Liz isn’t the only volunteer who tends to the Little Free Pantry. Mary Eagen breaks up large packs of diapers and repackages them into smaller bags of 4-6 diapers. Confirmation students also serve as Little Free Pantry volunteers and stock the pantry with items they purchase. “It’s great to see the kids get involved and learn about serving families in our community,” Liz reflects.
 
To learn more about the Holy Trinity Mission Outreach Team or donations requested for the Little Free Pantry, visit www.holytrinityonline.org/missions-outreach/
 
Written by Karen Taylor, HTLC Web Manager
May 25, 2022

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