Haul Out Hunger: Ackley Food Pantry
posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2018
“Many families in our community have multiple children and mouths to feed so nutrition is really important,” said Nancy Bartling, who coordinates the food pantry in Ackley. “The pork loins are a great help and I’m all for protein and good nutrients!”
Our first Haul Out Hunger donations took us east of Iowa Falls, where we visited with Nancy and Jim Bartling of the Ackley Food Pantry and delivered 12 cases of pork loins. Located in the basement of St. John's UCC, the food pantry is supported by the ministerial association.
“We get a lot of generous help and donations from our community here in Ackley,” explained Nancy “The high school holds various drives to help keep our shelves full and the ministerial association is great about putting announcements in local church bulletins if we’re needing items. It’s usually shortly thereafter that donations start coming in.”
The Ackley Food Pantry has been in operation for 20 years and operates on an appointment-only basis. A system that works very well for a pantry of their size. “Families come in once a month and put together a box with all of the items that they need,” explained Nancy. “From non-perishables and meat to household items and personal hygiene products, we try to help out families as much as we can.”
After unloading 144 pork loins at the Ackley Food Pantry, our crew headed across town to deliver an additional 48 pork loins for the school district.
“We are planning on delivering these to families that are struggling to make ends meet,” said AGWSR Elementary School Principal, Teresa Keninger. “Whether it’s health issues, the loss of a job or other family circumstances, these are families in our district that have needs and could use a helping hand.”
Currently, the AGWSR School District plans on donating a pork loin to 45 local families. “We are hoping that these loins will be the foundation of a delicious, nutritious holiday meal,” explained Teresa. “With the Fourth of July right around the corner and school out for break, the timing of this donation couldn’t be better.”
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