To the editor:
Time marches on. The challenging summer of 2012 is almost past us and we have opened the door to autumn. Behind that door lie new challenges for the Juniata County Food Pantry.
In July, the food pantry served 309 families; which translates to 921 individuals. These are your friends and neighbors in Juniata County who are under financial distress, and depend on the services we offer. In the majority of these cases, these families have children who depend on them to put food on the table. In addition, many of our customers are elderly, living on a fixed income well below the poverty level. Obviously this is where we come in. A family typically receives food items to last four to seven days. If a family continues to need help, they may come in once a month for groceries. These are examples of how the food pantry can help.
With this in mind, here is what you can do to help the food pantry help individuals in the county. We accept donations of cash, checks, gift cards from local grocery and discount stores, as well as all non-perishable food items, unexpired and in good condition. The food pantry also asks for donations of baby care, personal care, and cleaning supplies. If you have an overabundance of fresh garden vegetables, the food pantry will gladly share them with the hungry. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.
The Juniata County Food Pantry is so blessed by the generosity of this community. Without you, we would not exist, and there would be nowhere to turn for our neighbors in hunger. We would like to thank the many individuals who give so unselfishly of their time and money. The churches of Juniata County are also faithful supporters of the food pantry. In addition, the local businesses and organizations named below have helped to pull us through the tough times over the past 6 months:
Mifflin Agway, Arbogast Crafts, Arch Rock Acres, Bar None Trucking, Barnes Body Shop, Benner Automotive, Beward's Pharmacy, Bob's Electric, Bread of Life Restaurant, Century 21 Above & Beyond, Colledge & Snyder, Costco Harrisburg, Curves, Empire Kosher, Ernest Hill Kennels, Family Health Associates-McAlisterville, First National Bank, Mifflin, First National Bank of Mifflintown, Gifts of Love, Hair Repair, Hower & Associates, Jacobson Trucking, Jay Swartz Signs, Juniata Sentinel, Juniata Mutual Insurance Co, Juniata Valley Bank, La Columbiana, Lake Chevrolet, The (Lewistown) Sentinel, Littlefield Farm, Locust Grove Retirement Center, Marilyn's Pool Supply, Margaret McCann School of Dance, Mexico Market, Mifflintown Family Chiropractic, Miller/Gentry, CPA, Nale's Accounting Service, Perry Pest Control, Pine Creek Personal Care Home, Quality Stone, Rich Coast Coffee, Sausman's Insurance, Schlegel's Store, Serendipity X2, Shady Hill Hardwood, Shirley's Little Cafe, Sheetz, Stitch in Time, Sunshine Country Herbs, Swartz Signs, Tall Pines Farm, Thompsontown Market, The Times, Trends by Jen, Tuscarora Electric, Two Sisters, Valley Protein, Village Acres Farm, Walmart, Warehouse 13, Weis, William Crim DDS, WIEZ, WJUN, WMRF, WQJU.
Schools: East Juniata High School, Fayette Elementary, Juniata High School, Juniata Mennonite School, Lack-Tuscarora Elementary, M/J Career & Tech Center, Monroe Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, New Day Charter School, Shippensburg University, Susquehanna Elementary, Thompsontown Elementary, Tuscarora Valley Elementary.
Organizations: American Legion 298, Angel Food Ministries, Alone Together Group, American Red Cross, Americans for a Gentle Planet, Angel Food, Awana at First Baptist, Beale Township Fire Co, Bethesda Mission, The Boyz, Central PA World Hunger Association, Cheerforce All Stars, Christ's Ambassadors, Community Care, Country Showdown - Liberty Weekend, CROP Walk, Diakon Kathryn's Kloset, East Juniata HS-FFA, Fayette Community Carnival, Fayette Fire Co, Fermanagh-Mifflintown Home and School, Fermanagh Township, Fifth Texas Civil War Re-enactors, JAM House, Juniata HS-FFA, Healing House, Juniata County Business and Professional Women, Juniata County Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Juniata County Brownies and Girl Scouts, Juniata County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex, Juniata County Educator's Association, Juniata County Extension Office, Juniata County Farm Bureau, Juniata County Head Start, Juniata County Historical Society, Juniata County Library, Juniata County Postmasters, Juniata County Probation Office, Juniata County Quilters Guild, Juniata County Retired School Workers Assoc, Juniata County Salvation Army, Juniata County School District, Juniata County School Retirees Assoc, Juniata County Women's Democratic Club, Juniata HS Christmas Cantata, Juniata HS FFA, Juniata Joint HS Class of 1953, Juniata Valley Master Gardeners, JV Quilters Guild, Knights of Columbus, Lack Tuscarora Home & School Assoc, Lewistown Health Care Foundation, Lions Clubs, Lost Creek Rod and Gun Club, Meals on Wheels, Mennonite Foundation, Mifflin-Juniata Pet Pantry, Mifflintown Kiwanis, Milford Township, Millerstown HS Class of '46, Newport Bread of Life Ministries, Network for Good, North Street Manor, Old Home Foliage Days, Order of the Eastern Star, Planter's Plus, Port Royal Literary Guild, Retired School Teacher's Association, Richfield Women's Club, Rotary Club of Mifflintown, SAM Inc., Save Thanksgiving Benefit Concert, Silver Sneakers, Sons of the American Legion Post 298, Stitchin Sisters, TIU-11, Thompsontown High School reunion, Trinity Tots Pre-School, Turbett Grange, Tuscarora Valley Heritage Days, United Way, USDA Commodity Foods, Walker Grange, WIC, Wings of Kindness.
Juniata County Food Pantry
Mifflintown
