Rappahannock Plant A Row

The produce aisle at the Rappahannock Food Pantry was dazzling in July.   Gardeners and county farms stocked it with 2,184 lbs of fresh, local vegetables and 85 lbs of fruit.  Yes, zucchini and squash (618 lbs) and cucumbers (731 lbs) may have been over represented, but you can’t be too rich or too thin or have too many zucchini, squash and cucumbers, right?  Most everyone’s favorite, tomatoes, debuted last month with 317 lbs donated.

Meat was the big story in July.  Donations of 4H raised livestock from Culpeper brought in 1,824 lbs of pork, lamb and goat meat.  This meat bonanza resulted from Oliver and Michael Brown’s vision to help the less fortunate, and Pantry operatives, Mimi Forbes and Hal Hunter’s, quick action to take advantage of a great opportunity.

From its opening in June of 2009, the Pantry has received amazing contributions.  And things keep getting better and better.  Total food contributions in July 2009 totaled 2,861 lbs.  In July 2010 (through July 29), 8,509 lbs of food were donated – nearly a three-fold increase.  Of course the number of household using the Pantry more than doubled in that twelve-month period.   Currently about 300 households use the Pantry.

A couple of regular donors are worthy of mention because they always come through in a big way.  Sunnyside Farms delivers large amounts of organic produce to the Pantry weekly –  twice a week on occasion.  Sunnyside’s July deliveries came to 641 lbs.  Amazing gardener David Morrow brought in 383 lbs of vegetables last month.

Steve Welsh drops off several hundred pounds of Pepperidge Farms items each Tuesday – it added up to half a ton of bread, rolls and buns in July.  Clay Fulghum stops by the Pantry each Tuesday with cat food and bottled salad dressings – both very popular with Pantry recipients.

An individual, who prefers to remain anonymous, brought in 488 lbs of supermarket food last month.  She makes frequent large food donations to the Pantry.  Trinity Episcopal Church parishioners donated 210 lbs of food.

Catholic Charities of the Arlington diocese delivered 1,199 lbs of canned and boxed food to the Pantry in July.  These deliveries are part of their Christ House on Wheels (CHOW) program, which works to provide food to those who need it in the outlying areas of the Arlington diocese.

The search for new quarters for the Pantry has taken us near and far in Rappahannock.  We may be zeroing in on our new spot, but we have to crunch some numbers to see whether we can afford the increased rent and utilities.  Stay tuned.

My apologies to Donald Porter, who left a message on my answering machine responding to my request for Pantry volunteers.   Mr. Porter was surprised and disappointed in the delay in my contacting him.  I was away the week he called.  The Pantry has an amazing cadre of volunteers and couldn’t operate without them.   I know Mr. Porter would be an asset to the Pantry and we welcome his help.

Kathy Eggers

During August the Food Pantry will collect school supplies for children who need them. We’re looking for: glue sticks, pencils, pencil boxes, pencil sharpeners, black and blue pens, black and white composition notebooks, one-subject spiral notebooks, lined loose leaf paper, binders, crayons, crayola-type markers, art supplies, rulers, scissors, book bags or backpacks, lunch boxes, calculators, scotch tape, highlighters, index cards and index card boxes, dictionaries, reference books, maps and globes, and musical instruments.  These school supplies can be new or gently used.  Hand sanitizers and kleenex would also be useful for our students.

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (August 6, 7, and 8), Virginia has a sales tax holiday for purchases of school supplies and clothing.  During this sales tax holiday, there is no sales tax on purchases of qualifying school supplies that cost $20 or less per item.  Details about the sales tax holiday for school supplies and clothing are at:

http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=SchoolSuppliesAndClothingHoliday

Please bring school supplies contributions to the Food Pantry at 603 Mt. Salem Ave. in Washington on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-4 and Saturdays from 9-2. Call the Pantry with questions at 675-1177.

Thanks for helping!

Are we blue?  Kinda.  The Rappahannock Food Pantry must move from its cozy quarters on Mt. Salem Avenue in Washington by late summer. So we’re looking for new space. We’d like to locate somewhere central in Rappahannock, so that no one has to travel too far to use the Pantry, to volunteer, or to donate food.

A place near the town of Washington would be ideal.  We need at least as much space as we have now – but a little more would really help.   Ample parking is critical – at least 8 parking spaces.  Kitchen facilities would be great.  A bathroom’s a necessity.   And windows!  Mimi wants windows!  If you have a suggestion about where the Pantry could move, please email Hal Hunter at hal@rappahannock.com or call him at 937-4744.

We’re also blue (but in a good way) because of the blueberry bonanza that came our way in June.  Jeannie Wall contacted us to say that her blueberry bushes were full of berries that volunteers could pick for the Pantry.   Despite the heat and humidity, several folks headed to Jeanne’s for the Great Blueberry Harvest of 2010.   Pantry recipients picked for themselves, and brought some back for others.  Sounds like the pickers had a great time, too.  At last count, the Pantry took in 64 lbs of blueberries!

Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods – full of antioxidants.   And we’re starting to focus on better nutrition at the Pantry.  Healthy eating coach Cheryl Mirabella came by the Pantry last month with some really tasty nibbles: kale and white bean stew, a cold bean salad, and grilled zucchini.  Everyone raved about the food – including kids!  Her recipes used foods often available at the Pantry and currently in season.

Cheryl also visited the Free Clinic with a sampling of healthful food.  Cheryl brought Mediterranean quinoa, creamy cucumber soup and polenta & vegetable bake to the Pantry today, Thursday, July 8.   It’s amazing how delicious healthful food can be.  Cheryl will be meeting with interested Pantry users to help them improve their diets.  Joining her will be registered dietician Kay Stewart.  We’re incredibly lucky to have Cheryl and Kay offer their nutritional expertise to the Pantry.

We’re also lucky to have such generous folks in Rappahannock.  Sunnyside Farms is amazing! In June Sunnyside donated 1,058 lbs of vegetables, including lettuce, greens, squash, cucumbers, and beets.  Trinity Episcopal brought in 464 lbs of canned and boxed goods.  Various folks contributed a total of 130 dozen eggs.   A local farmer (who prefers to remain anonymous) donated 200 lbs of beef, her second large meat donation.  Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese brought the Pantry 10 dozen eggs, 10 qts of milk, and 327 lbs of canned and boxed goods.

The Pantry could use more volunteers, preferably those who can come regularly – every week or every other week.  Call Kathy Eggers at 987-7208 to volunteer.  Sure would be nice if we could clone volunteer extraordinaire Andy Platt!