At Jefferson Food Pantry (JFP), we are constantly striving to meet the growing needs of our community, ensuring that every family has access to fresh and nutritious food. Today, we are reaching out for support as we embark on a critical $15,000 emergency project to replace the doors and electrical components of our walk-in cooler and freezer.
Our walk-in cooler and freezer play a vital role in preserving the fresh produce, dairy, and perishable items that make up 30% of the groceries we distribute. These essential appliances allow us to rescue and store food from local retailers through our twice-weekly gleaning program. Last year, we replaced the condenser and blower units, but now the custom doors and electrical components have failed, threatening our ability to continue providing fresh groceries to the hundreds of families who rely on us.
To help fund this project, JFP is seeking generous community donations to contribute to the total cost of replacing the doors, which is essential to keeping our pantry running smoothly. Without functioning cold storage, our ability to offer fresh food safely and efficiently would be at risk.
The numbers tell the story of why this project is so important. Each month, we provide groceries to over 1,000 unique households through our “choice pantry” model, where guests can use a “debit point” system to select the groceries and household essentials they need. In August alone, we served 1,253 households, including 1,675 adults, 1,081 children, and 602 seniors. Our pantry sees around 50 new families each month, and we’ve experienced a 123% increase in household visits compared to last year. In August, we rescued 56,400 pounds of food and distributed nearly 100,000 pounds of groceries, all thanks to our cold storage capabilities.
By supporting this project, you help ensure that we can continue to provide healthy, nutritious food to our neighbors in need, safely and efficiently. Every dollar raised for this project will go directly toward the replacement of the cooler and freezer doors, allowing us to keep nourishing our community for years to come.
Thank you for your continued support of Jefferson Food Pantry as we work together to fight food insecurity in our community.
Your kind contributions can be made online here: https://donorbox.org/jefferson-food-pantry