Rappahannock Plant A Row

On October 3, Plant-a-Row gardeners and Food Pantry donors and volunteers gathered at the Scrabble School to share a potluck supper and celebrate an outstanding harvest for the hungry in Rappahannock.

Consider these numbers. From opening day on June 2 through Oct 1, the pantry has received:

Pounds of fresh vegetables: 5,297
Pounds of fruit: 961
Dozens of eggs: 213
Quarts of milk: 466
Pounds of butter: 181
Pounds of prepared (“store bought”) food: 3,546
Pounds of dog food: 1,788
Several boxes of school supplies, books and toys
Phone cards
Cook Books

That’s over a four-month period.  Now try this:

Individuals and organizations who have donated time or food: 201. (The number is actually higher; some contribute anonymously or leave before they can be acknowledged.)  Volunteer hours worked at The Pantry: 1,245.  Households enrolled in The Pantry: 198.

Kathy Eggers, Plant a Row volunteer coordinator, thanked Hal Hunter as the force behind Plant a Row and the establishment of the Food Pantry in Rappahannock.  Hal Hunter introduced Mimi Forbes, pantry manager, who recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their special contributions:

John Mann, Sr. and Peter Hughes for their hours of volunteer service at the pantry;

David Morrow, Molly Hobson, Beverly Hunter, and Ellie Clark for donations of fresh produce from their gardens;

BB&T Bank for its generous meat and supermarket contributions, and The Farm at Sunnyside and Waterpenny Farm for sharing their produce so magnanimously;

Betty Price, Clay Fulghum & Marshall Jones, and Mimi Delozier, who purchased and donated large amounts of milk, canned and boxed goods and pet food;

David Morrow came in for special recognition.  Mr. Morrow donated more than eight percent of the nearly three tons of fresh vegetables the pantry received.

John Kiser was also recognized as a representative of the Benevolent Fund, which helps pay the rent at the pantry.

Darcy Canton, who runs the Senior Center at the Scrabble School, spoke last. She gave a brief  history of the Scrabble School.  She then explained that the Food Pantry is now a “station” for the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and encouraged gardeners and volunteers to enroll in RSVP.

The pantry will remain open through the fall and winter, into the spring planting season and beyond. Contributions are encouraged throughout these lean periods, especially milk, eggs, butter, and sliced cheese. Several boxes of groceries were donated at the celebration.