The Paoli Food Pantry is another way hungry people in the community get help. We talked to ling-time volunteer Bonnie Beachy for some insight into the workings of the Pantry.

Q: Who is eligible to come to the Food Pantry?
A: Paoli’s Food Pantry provides food for anyone in the Paoli or Orleans school district. About half the county is eligible. Eligibility and how much food a family can get every month depends on income and the number of people living in the household.

Q: What is the Food Pantry primarily for?
A: The Food Pantry is primarily meant to be emergency food, as Food Stamps should cover most of the food needed for residents within a home. If a family moves here from another county, the Food Stamps move slow. Sometimes people will take in another family, or children will stay with their grandparents for periods of time. Elderly people often spend a lot of money on medicine and benefit greatly from the food pantry.

Q: Where do your donations come from?
A: Government, Bloomington Food Bank, schools and churches.

Q: What are you in need of?
A: Canned vegetables, money (it is spent 100% on food), toiletry items (shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste etc.), soup, canned meats and tomato juice.

Q: What can people do to help?
A: There are numerous ways that people in the community can help. There is a lot of heavy lifting needed to be done for hauling all of the food.

Information from ZoraAnn Woodsmall