With rising food costs, more families may be having a hard time putting food on the table. Bethel United Methodist Church has opened a food pantry to help those with food insecurity.
When the pandemic first started in 2020, the church installed a free pantry in the parking lot. “We discovered we were the only one on this side of Franklin to provide that kind of help to our neighbors and we wanted to do more of that,” said pastor Bradley Lisk.
With the help of church member Pam Turner, they began the process of becoming a MANNA Food Bank partner and opened the pantry last in March. “We are happy to be a partner with MANNA,” Lisk said. “We have access to a lot more resources and can feed a lot more of our neighbors.”
The church’s goal is to serve 15-20 families every other week. “We know there are a lot of families who are food insecure, and we want to provide some help.”
Food requests
Lisk said requests for food have a certain level on anonymity. People requesting food only need to call the church and leave a message with basic information about what their needs are. There are no income guidelines and no personal information shared.
To reserve a box of food, call 828-634-1116 and leave a message with the following:
• First name, last initial
• Phone number so the church can confirm pick-up time
• Number of people in family
• Any allergies in family
• Any special items you may need such as diapers
Food boxes will be picked up at the church, located at 81 Bethel Church Road (off Highlands Road) in Franklin.
Below is the schedule for April and May:
April 26, call between 8 a.m. and noon to reserve a box for pick up on April 29.
May 10, call between 8 a.m. and noon to reserve a box for pick up on May 13.
May 24, call between 8 a.m. and noon to reserve a box for pick up on May 27.
The free little pantry is also still available in the church parking lot for anyone needing food.
Volunteers needed
Lisk said in addition to getting the word out to families in need, they could use some more volunteers to help on days the food is delivered from MANNA and on distribution days. For information about volunteering to help with the food pantry, call 828-342-8916.
“This has been a passion project for a while. It’s not just about the food but inviting people to the table.” Lisk said. “The people of this church have that desire and motivation to do more.”