Innovative pantry offers food, recipes

Kolbi Ward pauses while helping deliver food at the Table of Grace Church. Ward came up with the idea of The Pantry to "provide and empower you with the foods the community needs to make complete meals." The Pantry, located at Table of Grace Church on 3328 Benett Lane, is every fourth Friday. "People assume that a dollar menu would be cheaper for meals for the family but it's not true," Ward said. "Our goal is to provide a way to make healthy meals in an easier and cheaper way." Table of Grace is located just south of Jefferson City on the grounds of Rickman Conference Center.
Kolbi Ward pauses while helping deliver food at the Table of Grace Church. Ward came up with the idea of The Pantry to "provide and empower you with the foods the community needs to make complete meals." The Pantry, located at Table of Grace Church on 3328 Benett Lane, is every fourth Friday. "People assume that a dollar menu would be cheaper for meals for the family but it's not true," Ward said. "Our goal is to provide a way to make healthy meals in an easier and cheaper way." Table of Grace is located just south of Jefferson City on the grounds of Rickman Conference Center.

When a reminder about The Pantry being open went out Friday morning across Facebook, for some it was the answer to "How am I going to feed my children this week?"

The innovative food pantry at 3328 Bennett Lane first served guests in July. It is now open from 1-7 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month.

What is different about the approach by Table of Grace and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteers is the items given combine for a complete meal.

They provide the recipe, too.

Nearly 200 guests were offered their choice of four breakfast options - grits, homemade biscuits, oatmeal or Cream of Wheat - and of six dinner menus - chicken pot pie, chicken and vegetables with rice, one-pot chicken and vegetable pasta, vegetable soup, red beans and rice or white bean chicken chili.

Several of the dinners also come with a choice of seasonings, too.

And this month, guests benefited from fresh produce out of the NEEED Project Community Garden.

The Pantry's goal is not only to feed people, but to provide them with better nutrition, said organizer Stephanie Scott-Huffman.

"There's something about fresh, just out of the earth," said organizer Kolbi Ward. "It's an added perk."

Next year, NEEED and The Pantry leaders plan to work more closely together, preparing produce and recipes that work together, Ward said.

The Pantry has received exceptional community response, Scott-Huffman said. Local restaurants, businesses and individuals have donated food items and money to see this community service succeed.

Table of Grace's tax-exempt status, combined with discounts from local grocery stores, has helped with operating costs. And churches and day cares have held food drives.

Holding a food drive for The Pantry is easy on the donor because they ask for a specific, single item, like a pasta drive or an oats drive.

"Donors don't have to go into the store and wonder what they're going to get," Scott-Huffman said.

Ward added: "That makes inventory easier, too."

As for the guests taking home the recipe-centered food items, feedback has been positive.

"I couldn't ask for this to go any better," Scott-Huffman said.

The Pantry likely will grow. In November, Ward hopes to host a cooking class. Ultimately, they would like to be in a setting where they could serve a meal to guests as well.

Kaitlin Fritz, a Lincoln University student, volunteers at The Pantry to fulfill her service-learning project requirement in a social work class. She plans to continue volunteering after the semester is over.

Fritz has seen the need for food among her friends and family, who can cover their bills but not groceries, too, she said.

"The way they do it here is more useful because they're giving ingredients for a meal," Fritz said. "It's more beneficial to the average person who doesn't cook on a regular basis or can't afford all the ingredients for one meal."

Call 573-291-3561 for more information.