The Pantry of Jefferson City has moved. It has also changed the days it distributes food.
For four years, The Pantry has distributed food once a month from Community Christian and Table of Grace Church (which is now Community Christian Church), 409 Ellis Blvd.
At its new location at 3702 W. Truman Blvd., Suite 122, the nonprofit organization will be closer to communities along Truman Boulevard, Director Kolbi Ward said.
Now, the distributions are to be made on the fourth Saturday of each month, she said, rather than Friday. Many people who use its service rely on friends and family members to provide transportation. The organization's new weekend distribution day gives its guests more opportunities for rides, she said.
Four years ago, Table of Grace organizers wanted to create a pantry, but they realized, oftentimes, food donated to pantries can seem exotic to people who receive it and would be underused. Many people who donate to food pantries, thinking they are giving "poor people" what they want, donate macaroni and cheese or Ramen noodles.
"Those mac and cheese, and Ramen, and Hamburger Helper," Ward said, "those are not the cheapest way to eat. You can eat salmon and vegetables and an apple and be cheaper."
Working with Ward, who has a passion for healthy eating, Table of Grace was able to combine the idea of cooking and eating healthy and inexpensive foods with the food pantry.
The Pantry has very specific lists of items it accepts as donations, which are listed on its website, thepantryjc.org. Items the pantry needs are categorized by its need; "will need soon," "need now" or "desperate need." And they are very specific items - penne or rotini pasta in 16-ounce boxes, white rice (not instant), California vegetable blend (frozen 16-ounce bags), etc.
The Pantry provides people with about three days' worth of meals. More importantly, it teaches people how to prepare inexpensive healthy meals and to stretch dollars. Breakfast options include grits, homemade biscuits, oatmeal and Cream of Wheat. The Pantry has a menu of basic dinner meals for which people can shop from its selection of food products. The dinner meals (whose ingredients include bone-in chicken) consist of chicken pot pie, chicken and vegetables with rice, one-pot chicken and vegetable pasta, and vegetable soup.
"We'll give them whatever seasoning packet they need," Ward said. "All of our meals take about 15 minutes to prepare."
Ward can even help guest create meal plans for their families.
The ingredients for the meals cost less than $5, so people can replenish them at low cost, she said. And, the recipes are intended to feed six or more.
Some parents who use The Pantry regularly said their children would never eat what they cooked before. Or that they never knew how to make a pot pie, Ward said.
"They say, 'Now, my kids ask for it all the time. We can go and buy all these ingredients and make it easily,'" she said.
That is a goal of pantry organizers - to demonstrate how easily people can change their cooking and eating habits.
In addition to food donations, The Pantry accepts monetary donations (check the website for instructions) and can always use volunteer help. Recently, volunteers have participated in preparing the new location for food distribution.
However, it is always looking for people to help pack, prepare and organize food.